Rev. Lynn McKinnon of Westminster United Church announces it is the first in Medicine Hat to become an affirming church, accepting all people.--NEWS PHOTO KELLEN TANIGUCHI
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Westminster United Church is opening its doors to everyone and anyone during its virtual service on Sunday, as the church has officially become the Hat’s first affirming church.
“By being affirming, it means it’s like a public, intentional and explicit welcome and acceptance of people of every sexual identification, gender identity, differently abled, racial differences and all of that,” said Rev. Lynn McKinnon
“It’s one thing for people to say they’re welcoming, but how do people outside our doors know that? It’s been a year-long process of meetings, studying through scriptures, what it says and what has been misinterpreted and what it’s really saying about that.”
McKinnon says to become an affirming church, a minimum of 75 per cent of the church’s congregation has to vote in approval – 100 per cent of Westminster United Church’s congregation voted in favour of becoming the city’s first affirming church.
The church had to meet all the criteria set by Affirm United, a partner of the United Church of Canada for the support of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Becoming an affirming church also comes with the benefit of being able to use Affirm United’s logo, a signal to people of the LGBTQ2S+ community that the church is welcoming and safe for them.
McKinnon says she hopes Westminster United is not the only church in the city to become affirming and she’s heard a lot of neighbouring churches are encouraged by this announcement.
“I think that if we’re actually going to be living in the way Jesus taught us, then we have to be loving. Those were the two commandments was to love God and to love your neighbour and if you’re not welcoming and accepting and loving to your neighbour, then you’re not following Jesus’s way,” said McKinnon.
The church is making the announcement during Pride month, but McKinnon says it’s unfortunate the announcement is coming during COVID and they can’t have a huge celebration, however it’s still an exciting day.
Debi Hoefling, member of the church’s affirming committee, says the process took more than a year, but it was a necessary length.
“It is a very long process, but you have to go through it all in order to understand what you’re asking to do and in order to be able to answer questions your congregation might have. So, you need to understand all the answers,” said Hoefling.
She says the church has talked to several members of the LGBTQ2S+ community in the city who have had bad experiences. They’ve grown up all their lives in a church and once they came out, their church told them not to bring their partner, or to sit at the back, says Hoefling.
“I just think it’s an important step for Medicine Hat,” she said. “Medicine Hat has come a long way. I’ve lived here for over 40 years now and from the time I’ve moved here it has come a long way in this regard and I hope it continue to carry on that way.”
The recorded service, which included the announcement, will be available on Westminster United Church’s Facebook page and website around 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, says McKinnon.
