Sunday June 28

Guilford Community Church, United Church of Christ (UCC), will join with four other area churches on Sunday June 28 in the Annual Gay Pride Union Service, an online celebration of our commitment to affirming the rights and relationships of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) members of our communities. Rev Audrey Walker, pastor of the First Congregational Church of West Brattleboro, will lead the 10am worship service with pastors and members of Guilford Community Church, Centre Church, First Congregational Church of Dummerston and  West Dover all participating.   Some church members will share their personal stories and others will read the story of the Stonewall Uprising. A special Gay Pride virtual choir under the direction of Steve Rice will provide the day’s music.
The United Church of Christ has a history of supporting equality and justice for the LGBTQ community that spans back more than 48 years. In 1972, the UCC was the first mainline Protestant denomination to ordain an openly-gay minister, the Rev. William R. Johnson, and was the first denomination to affirm marriage equality for all people, regardless of gender, at its General Synod in 2005. This year marks the 16th anniversary of the UCC’s resolution affirming marriage equality for all people, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

In April 2014, the UCC filed suit against the state of North Carolina, arguing that the state’s marriage laws violate the First Amendment rights of clergy and the principle of “free exercise of religion.” In October 2014, a federal judge ruled the state’s marriage laws as unconstitutional, giving the UCC and its co-plaintiffs a monumental and historic victory for equality for all people. The landmark lawsuit, General Synod of the United Church of Christ v. Cooper, was the first-ever challenge by a national Christian denomination of a state’s marriage laws.

The UCC stands with thousands of same-sex couples across the life of the church, affirming their freedom to marry the person they love. UCC clergy have honored these commitments, officiating over covenantal vows or blessings, long before same-sex marriage was approved in 37 states and Washington, D.C., and the church has active coalitions working for marriage equality in nearly every state. There are currently more than 1,200 Open and Affirming (ONA) UCC churches nationwide, including all five local UCC churches celebrating Sunday.

The link to the service will be found on the homepage of this website,  Guilfordchurch.org on Sunday morning, on BCTV and by searching on youtube for 06-28-2020-Rev Audrey Walker First Congregational Church West Brattleboro.  For more information call Fred Breunig at 254-9019.