Church moves to welcome its LGBTQ congregants
Formal affirmation process has begun at Knox-Metropolitan
When Cameron Fraser speaks from the pulpit, God isn’t a “Him.”
Sometimes, Fraser uses “Her.” Mostly, though, he avoids pronouns altogether. God is just God.
He does the same when addressing his congregation.
“I’m already trying not to use binary language when I refer to sexuality,” he said. “I try not to say ‘dear brothers and sisters.’ I try to say ‘dear friends.’”
Fraser is the minister at Knox-Metropolitan Church in downtown Regina. The congregation is already one of the friendlier spiritual homes for gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender worshippers.
But now they’re on a road toward making it official.
Knox-Metropolitan has begun a process to become an affirming ministry. If all goes according to plan, it’ll join three other United Churches in Regina that hold the designation. It means they’ll make a formal declaration, saying they welcome people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
More than that, it means they’ll celebrate LGBTQ people for who they are — because of, not despite, their sexuality.
“We are affirming the image of God within people,” Fraser said.
He said it’s important to make that position clear. After millenniums of anti-gay tendencies in Christianity, he doesn’t want people to wonder how they’ll be treated inside his church.
“I think it’s unfair for them to make that vulnerable first step of coming into a place that has historically stood for condemnation of who they are,” he said. “That’s why I think it’s important to have that overt welcome.”
The push is led by an affirming committee within the church. The five members are now planning an educational campaign for the congregation, with the goal of reaching consensus before a vote this year or next.
One member is only 15 years old. Monique Poisson-Fast said thoughts about her LGBTQ friends helped inspire her to join the committee.
“I would just want to know with all certainty that, if they were ever to come to my church, they would be fully accepted for who they are,” she said.
The committee has already handed out a survey to the congregation. The feedback, for the most part, has been “overwhelmingly positive,” Poisson-Fast said. But there are still a few with questions.
Fraser said most worshippers are on board. Many ask why the church didn’t make the move sooner. Like Poisson-Fast, though, he’s heard “misgivings” here and there.
“There have also been those who have had some questions about what this means,” he said. “Does this change the experience of the church they’ve known and loved?”
He said most of the congregation is older. Some may not have had much experience with “conversations around sexuality and gender identity.” But Poisson-Fast is confident she can win them over.
“An old dog can learn new tricks,” she said. “If people want to learn and understand, they’re going to be able.”
The committee will also explore what LGBTQ people want from the church. Fraser said they’ll be asking how best to meet the needs of people who’ve become estranged from the church because of their sexuality.
“We’ll listen to them to find out what we can do to learn about their experiences, and what we can change about ourselves to show them that who they are is valuable and important,” he said.
He expects to see changes in the day-to-day life of the church. It could mean officially christening the church’s family washrooms as “gender-inclusive washrooms.” It could mean offering space for important milestones, like when a transgender person adopts a new name to mark their identity.
Fraser says that can carry much the same meaning as a sacrament. He wants the church to be there to help celebrate.
“There are definitely beautiful liturgies, or ceremonies and rituals, that trans folk who are Christians have created for marking something important along their transitions,” he said. “I would be so honoured to accompany them in doing so.”
If the congregation votes for affirmation, Fraser said it will be the “culmination” of a long road. The church’s decision to welcome same-sex marriages, in 2009, was one step along the way.
For Fraser, it won’t be the end of their journey.
“We will still mess up along the way and we will still need to learn and grow,” he explained. “But at least the affirming declaration is us being vulnerable to people, for lack of a better term, to say we are really, really trying and we are open to learn — hold us to a high standard.”
Does this change the experience of the church they’ve known and loved?