Open and Affirming Statement

Whew! The process of adopting Open and Affirming status at Shiloh Church has been fascinating, fabulous and enriching. The great good news is that there has been almost no reluctance to the idea of registering as an Open and Affirming congregation in the United Church of Christ. The less great good news is that the process has been daunting. Imagine thirty people in a room, over four weeks, attempting to establish a statement for this congregation's Open and Affirming status. It has been a wild ride. More than thirty versions have been offered, whole or in part. Phrases and words have been parsed to the nth degree. This coming Wednesday, April 27, we will narrow to a single statement. That statement will then be offered to the entire community at its May 1 congregational meeting.

The other great good news is that it matters far more how Shiloh behaves as an open and affirming community of faith than it matters what we say about ourselves in a statement. The congregation could adopt the best statement ever uttered. Without being reflected in actions and behaviors, those would be only fancy words and pretty ideas. I am confident, then, that the statement is secondary to what Shiloh Church already does. We welcome people. We accept people as they are. We affirm one another, including those who are with us for the first time.

We have narrowed our consideration to four options. I have run the four by friends of mine. One is an attorney, who assures me that all four options reflect what we may intend. Another is a transgender person, who, while having a preference, sees merit to all four statements. Yet another is a person who opposes the Open and Affirming stance. He hated each of the proposed statements. Shiloh must be on the right track!

The process on Wednesday night will work simply enough. As persons arrive at Boston's Bistro and Pub, starting at 6:00 p.m., each will receive a copy of the four options. They will be asked to vote for one option. The option with the highest number of votes will be selected, edited and adopted to be brought before the congregation on May 1. Please arrive early in order to: 1. get a seat and 2. get food/beverage before our 6:00 start time.

Here are the four options and the process:

OPTION 1

Shiloh Church United Church of Christ welcomes and celebrates diversity.

We recognize that we do not have to be or believe exactly alike in order to accomplish God’s will on earth.

Shiloh Church celebrates your journey, your gifts, your talents, and your  

calling and invites you to bring to the Lord's Table your energy and your uniqueness, to join with ours in

          "Living the Word by Serving the World."

YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!

OPTION 2

Shiloh Church United Church of Christ is an open and affirming community that loves and welcomes everyone, no matter where you are from, what you’ve done, how you live, whom you love, what gender you express, how much money you have, how you look or what you do.

YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!

OPTION 3

Shiloh Church is a place where you will experience the love of Christ, where we, like him, are accepting of all people (even those to whom the doors of the Church have not always been open).

OPTION 4

Shiloh Church United Church of Christ works unceasingly at reflecting the love of Christ by welcoming and affirming everyone, however, wherever, whoever you may be.

YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!

The Process:

1.     Narrow to the single best option. Each person will vote on the best option, without editing. Only the single highest vote count will be considered.

2.     Edit the selected option. Whatever option is selected will be edited.

3.     Selecting the Statement. The Open and Affirming Statement will then be sent to the congregation for consideration at its specially called meeting on May 1.

          4. Congregational vote. The congregation will act to adopt the Open and                  Affirming Statement of Shiloh Church, amend it, or turn it down.