Ministers Affirm Same-Sex Couples in
the Face of State Court Ruling
SEATTLE--July 26, 2006--Rev. Catherine Foote and Rev.
Donald Mackenzie, ministers at University Congregational United Church of
Christ in Seattle, release the following statement in light of today’s
ruling from the Washington State Supreme Court regarding marriage equality:
As ministers at University Congregational United Church
of Christ, we were dismayed to hear this morning’s ruling from the
Washington State Supreme Court effectively denying marriage rights to
homosexual couples. Sixteen years ago our congregation voted to become an
“Open and Affirming” church with the following words: . . .
We, the members
of University Congregational United Church of Christ, are a diverse group of
people... As a church community, we celebrate and find strength in that
diversity and view it as a way to understand the inclusiveness of God.
...As a community of
committed Christian people, we seek to end the continuing injustice of
institutional discrimination, instances of violence, and setbacks in civil
rights protection of gays and lesbians. We seek to work together in the
light of the Gospel to define principles of human relationships and behavior
that are based on nurturing each other as whole persons with love,
responsibility, accountability and trust...
As a congregation and as
individuals, we lift up the following as evidence of our openness and
affirmation:
... We pledge ourselves to support and honor
committed partnerships of lesbian/gay people, recognizing the difficulty of
maintaining such partnerships in the absence of the social validation, role
models, and legal frameworks that support heterosexual unions.
...We
condemn all acts of discrimination and violence (physical, emotional,
economic, or legal) against persons because of their sexual orientation,
just as we condemn such acts against people because of race, age, gender,
religion, ethnic background, or physical/mental disabilities or
limitations. We pledge to support advocacy efforts designed to assure that
homosexual persons enjoy the same rights and privileges as heterosexual
persons.
We supported and affirmed our colleague Peter Ilgenfritz
as he and his partner David Shull entered into the lawsuit which led to
today’s ruling. We know Peter and Dave to be wonderful, sensitive, faithful
people of God, and a committed couple.
People of faith differ on their response to this
ruling. We celebrate that University Congregational UCC has joined with
other local congregations and other settings of our denomination in
advocating for justice and equality for all people, as children of God,
regardless of sexual orientation.
We will continue to affirm the lives and relationships
of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. We will continue to
welcome all people into our life and ministry, and especially at this time
those who have been wounded by painful, judgmental and condemning words.
The Rev. Catherine Foote
The Rev. Donald Mackenzie
Formed in 1891, Seattle’s University Congregational
UCC has nearly 1,000 members. Throughout Washington State, the UCC has about
80 congregations, with more than 10,500 members. Thirty-seven UCC
congregations in the state have publicly declared themselves to be “open and
affirming” of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
In July 2005, the 1.2-million-member United Church
of Christ became the largest Christian denomination to support marriage
equality, when the UCC’s General Synod, meeting in Atlanta, endorsed a
resolution calling for full equal marriage rights for same-gender couples.
The non-binding General Synod action encourages other settings of the
church, including local congregations, to study the issue. |
