Press Release After General Assembly 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Officially Welcomes LGBTQ Members

Mansfield, Texas – July 22, 2013 – At its biannual General Assembly in Orlando, Florida, last week, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a mainline Protestant denomination, voted by a wide margin to approve Resolution 1327, “Becoming a People of Grace and Welcome to All.” While the resolution speaks broadly of the theological grounds for extending welcome to all people, the main focus of discussion was on the penultimate paragraph, which reads:

“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly calls upon the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to affirm the faith, baptism and spiritual gifts of all Christians regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and that neither is grounds for exclusion from fellowship or service within the church, but we celebrate that all are part of God’s good creation.”

Immediately following the passage of Resolution 1327, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Sharon Watkins sent a pastoral letter to congregations, saying, “The intent of the resolution is to urge Disciples to welcome into our congregations and other ministries all who seek Christ. It serves as a reminder that among Disciples we do not bar the church door or fence the [communion] table from those who desire the embrace of God’s love.”

Mansfield has one congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Galileo Church, which began meeting in June 2013. Galileo Church includes LGBTQ members and welcomes interest from all, says pastor Rev. Dr. Katie Hays.

Contact:

Rev. Dr. Katie Hays
email katie@galileochurch.org
phone 817-773-3147
1520 Hampton Drive, Mansfield, TX 76063