In Spring 2020 our recently retired minister, Hilde Seal, suggested that we form a team to explore becoming an officially Affirming Ministry.
Affirming Ministries are endorsed by The United Church of Canada and are aimed to be specifically inclusive to gender identity and sexual orientation minorities. Although our first focus is on Queer (LGBTQ+) inclusion, the Affirming Ministries process recognizes that justice and inclusion apply to many different marginalized communities such as those based on race, age, size, physical or mental ability, class and family configuration.
The purpose of an Affirming Ministry team is to educate the congregation on how to support Queer people and other minorities, to discern with the congregation if it wishes to become an officially Affirming Ministry, and to continue with affirming activities and education once the official label is attained.
We encourage you to explore our web resources, and we always welcome comments and questions from everyone. We also welcome new team members if anyone is interested in joining us. Please contact us at affirm@ucol.ca, or speak to Bex O (the person who wears the rainbow sweater), Barrie M, Toni B or Rev. Ryan Tristin. We look forward to hearing from you!