Justice and Social Action (Church & Society)

Reconciling Ministries

Committee Contact:
 
About the Reconciling Ministries Committee:
The Reconciling Ministries Committee is a part of the Methodist tradition of social concern and action. We are a justice-seeking, Spirit-filled people seeking and end to discriminatory practices against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons both within and outside of our denomination. Committee members work on behalf of the LGBT community, their families and faith communities.
 
The work of the Committee is currently focused in a number of educational andaction areas, including:
  • Workshops on “How to become a reconciling congregation”,
  • An annual essay contest which awards a scholarship for the best essay on “My Vision of a Fully Inclusive United Methodist Church”
  • Producing videos to raise awareness of the issues of inclusion. The first, Because God First Loved Us, was produced in 1996. Another video was made to educate people on the transgender issue and includes interviews with three transgender United Methodists. 
  • Consciousness raising actions and resolutions at Annual Conference seek to move the message of a fully inclusive church into reality. 
To date there are 36 reconciling congregations in the New England Annual Conference. Click here for the list.

We are part of The Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN), a national network of United Methodist-focused organizations advocating for the full inclusion of persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities into the life of the Church. Founded in 1984, RMN consists of 221 United Methodist congregations, 28 campus ministries, 34 Reconciling Communities, and over 18,000 individuals. Organizations involved include the Parents' Reconciling Network, Reconciling Ministries Clergy, United Methodists of Color, and RMN's student movement, MOSAIC.
Links and Information
NEWS:
  • 2011 Youth Essay Contest Winner - Samuel Thompson, a student of MIT. Essay will be posted soon!
 
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