Proof of vaccination required for in-person church activities beginning Jan. 16th at Community United Church of Christ in Fresno, California. Click the link below to read the official letter from this welcoming and inclusive congregation. For those of you who don’t know, inclusive congregations welcome LGBTQ people of faith with open arms.
Today marks the seventh anniversary of my ordination with Universal Life Church, The Monastery. I was approached once by some friends about officiating their wedding ceremony. They were running into some pushback from some local ministers about their same-sex marriage so they were putting feelers out to friends and family as a back up plan. After some reflection and research I decided to take out credentials so I could marry them if they needed me to. This ordination is completely legal in California, and in many other states, and affords me the right to officiate a wedding and sign county clerk marriage certificates.
If you, or anyone else you know, is having trouble getting a minister to officiate their wedding send them my way. Some folks I know don’t even belong to a specific church or denomination but still want to have a churchy or more traditional ceremony. I’m happy to sit down and talk with anyone about how I might help. I even have access to a very nice event space if you want to have the ceremony there, or perhaps the reception. You can leave a comment on this post or drop me a note on our Contact page.
There are several local churches and communities of faith that welcome, affirm, and include LGBTQ+ persons of faith. I’m very proud of the different options folks have to join and fully participate in these various churches and I want to call out and give props to one in particular: Community UCC.
Community UCC is an inclusive and progressive Christian church doing social justice, environmental faithfulness, interfaith collaboration and spiritual formation to help ourselves and others grow in faith, hope and love.
Mission statement from their website
Community UCC as been meeting regularly throughout the pandemic via Zoom and their YouTube channel. Services begin at 10:35 every Sunday and last about one hour. Communion is observed the first Sunday of every month. This is hot off the press as well: In person services will resume in July!!! If you’d like to learn more about this great LGTBQ+ friendly church just click the button below.
I know religion and matters of faith can be touchy subjects for so many of us because of how we have generally been mistreated and maligned by conservatives. I did want to, however, wish everyone a very merry and festive Easter weekend. Here is an Easter hymnal medley that I have absolutely fallen in love with this year.