LUDLOW, Vt. – Members of the United Church of Ludlow overwhelmingly voted to become an Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), welcoming lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and all marginalized people into the full life of the church.
Immediately afterward, the congregation – a united church affiliated with both the UCC and the United Methodist Church (UMC) – voted to become a Reconciling Congregation of the UMC.
“Jesus welcomed everyone, without exception, and we at the United Church of Ludlow do as well,” said pastor Michelle Fountain. “We are excited to show that we are a safe space sharing Jesus Christ’s inclusive love with all people, whoever they are and wherever they are in their life and faith journey. In a time where some emphasize exclusion and division, we stand for the unity of all in the one body of Christ.”
Open and Affirming (ONA) is a movement of more than 1,800 churches and other ministries in the United Church of Christ that welcome LGBTQ+ members, support their relationships, and advocate for their basic rights. The Reconciling Ministries Network of the United Methodist Church, with 1,440 churches and more than 46,000 individual members, is committed to intersectional justice across and beyond the United Methodist connection, working for the full participation of all LGBTQ+ people throughout the life and leadership of the Church.
The vote at the United Church of Ludlow’s Annual Meeting on Sunday, Jan. 26, came a year after it approved a new mission statement that the congregation is “striving to live God’s message of inclusive love through Jesus Christ in our community, nation, and world.” These actions are the latest in the United Church of Ludlow’s history of seeking unity and inclusivity.