Frkls

[mkesweetie]

Have you considered/tried out an Episcopal church?

[franciepants]

Not to take away from UMC...but definitely check out the other UCC church in your area. It may be a 180 from what you experienced at the one you tried today.

I joined an open and affirmed UCC church (was raised Catholic) two years ago and love, love, love it. Very liberal and progressive and also well organized. Our congregation is a few hundred people, straight and gay, elderly to infants. We do lots o' service work in the community and raise money for local, national and international causes. It's an awesome experience.

Our opening hymn two weeks ago actually acknowledged evolution. That made me love UCC even more.

[franciepants]

Sept 23, 2012 17:31:38 GMT -5 letsgetweird said:

Sept 23, 2012 17:26:02 GMT -5 franciepants said:

Not to take away from UMC...but definitely check out the other UCC church in your area. It may be a 180 from what you experienced at the one you tried today.

I joined an open and affirmed UCC church (was raised Catholic) two years ago and love, love, love it. Very liberal and progressive and also well organized. Our congregation is a few hundred people, straight and gay, elderly to infants. We do lots o' service work in the community and raise money for local, national and international causes. It's an awesome experience.

Our opening hymn two weeks ago actually acknowledged evolution. That made me love UCC even more.

I will check out the other one. I'm just a little bummed because the one I visited today is so close to where I live. I'm lazy and don't like to get up super early on Sundays lol.

LOL. When I was looking for a church, I googled "gay friendly" and searched in cities that were a 15 minute or less drive from me.

Regardless of what you choose, hope you find a good fit!

[mkesweetie]

Your experience can (and likely will) depend on your area and the church there, but the church is pretty affirming on all those things.

Women can be ordained and have all the same experiences as men in the church. Our head bishop (presiding bishop) is a woman.

The churches stance on abortion is to be against any legislation (or executive or judicial action) that limits access to abortion, oppose efforts to enforce/create laws making parental notification mandatory, and reaffirms the right to use birth control. (Also, the church is to express concern over the use of late term abortion "except in extreme situations", minister to those suffering after an abortion, and be against any violence against abortion clinics/doctors.)

On the issues of homosexuality, the church opposes any constitutional amendment (on any level) that keeps homosexuals from being able to be married. The church also says that any action that attempts to "criminalize" homosexual behavior is against the teachings of Jesus. We were the first mainline church to consecrate an openly gay bishop, and we continue to have homosexuals in positions of power and authority within the church. We also encourage the Boy Scouts to welcome gay members! The church is a pretty gay-friendly place to be. My church (admittedly in liberal Chicago) walks in the pride parade each year!

ETA ::

www.episcopalchurch.org/eppn

[mkesweetie]

Most Episcopal services will feel pretty "Traditional". Hebrew Bible reading, New Testament reading, gospel reading, sermon, communion. My church has a "quiet" service w/o music and a more traditional service w/ music.

I grew up Catholic, and the Episcopal service feels very familiar to me.

[ElizabethBennet]

Just posting so I remember to come back and read the things frkls posted. We'll be looking for a new church soon and from what I've skimmed I think we'll definitely be looking into the UMC. :Y:

[mkesweetie]

Sept 23, 2012 18:17:48 GMT -5 @smace said:

Now, is this all episcopal MKE? They all have to follow this? I live in fl and finding anything that's not fire and brimstone is difficult but I would totally be on board with episcopal.

These are the positions of the national church, but there is a lot of latitude for different bishops. For instance, I know that the bishop in the panhandle of FL is pretty conservative. On the whole, an Episcopal church anywhere should be less fire and brimstone that the Evangelical churches that are popular in FL/the south.

[mkesweetie]

:Y:

I hope you like it!

[mkesweetie]

Sept 23, 2012 18:53:46 GMT -5 @smace said:

Me too. I would love to raise my child in a church and not have to worry about "well the church we attend thinks that homosexuality is a sin, but we don't, so just ignore that part". I was raised Roman Catholic and, well, they're not the most accepting bunch. Lol.

Lol. No, no they're not. I was also raised Roman Catholic and found the Episcopal church in my 20s. My H is going through the ordination process right now, and hopes to be an Episcopalian minister. I really want to raise my (hypothetical) children in a church that recognizes the value and rights of all people and at the same time places so importance on a church family, the teachings of the Bible, and living the teachings of Jesus. So far, I've found all that with the Episcopal church. I'd say that more than half of the members of our congregation are "retired Catholics."

I do, though, wish my parents would stop telling everybody that I've "Converted to a new religion." lol.

[mkesweetie]

When I "converted" to the Episcopal church (I think we called it "being received") I invited my parents, because they were in town anyways. My mom cried through the whole thing.

Then she said, "Well, I guess it's good that you still believe in Jesus. I'd be really sad if you were like, Buddhist or something!" I tried to tell her that we are, in fact, the same religion but she's having none of that.

She recently told me that she'd be heartbroken if she ever found out that any of her kids believed that the Earth & everything on it weren't made (or should I say CREATED!) just as it says in Genesis.