Evangelical Pastor Shunned For Welcoming LGBT People

Evangelical Pastor Has A New, Thriving Congregation

Adam Phillips went from rising evangelical star to outcast to leader of a new, inclusive church.

Antonia Blumberg    Associate Religion Editor, The Huffington Post

Evangelical pastor Adam Phillips moved to Oregon to start Christ Church: Portland in the spring of 2014. Nine months later, the evangelical denomination Phillips worked for kicked him out and pulled two years of funding from the church.

Phillips’s transgression? Advocating for the full inclusion of LGBT Christians in the church.

A new short documentary by The Atlantic traces Phillips’s journey from rising evangelical star to outcast to leader of a new, inclusive congregation. It’s been less than two years since the Evangelical Covenant Church dealt Phillips that blow, and in that time the pastor has built up a thriving church community that doesn’t compromise on its convictions. Watch the video here.

ONA Ministry Events

Friends,

I wanted to share with you the upcoming events the Connecticut Conference ONA Ministry Team will be putting on, and ask you to begin announcing these events at your church:
Friday, September 23 7pm
Bisexual Visibility Day Worship
Center Congregational Church UCC, Meriden, CT
Bi Visibility Day is observed on September 23 by members of the bisexual community and their supporters. This celebration of bisexuality in particular, as opposed to general LGBT events, was conceived as a response to the prejudice and marginalization of the bisexual persons by some in both the straight and greater LGBT communities. Come worship with us at7pm on September 23, 2016 at Center Congregational Church of Meriden, CT (474 Broad St, Meriden, CT) as we show Christ’s inclusive love through an ever increasing welcome in our Connecticut Conference UCC churches!!
November 18-19
Building an Inclusive Church Training
East Woodstock Congregational Church
Please join the Connecticut Conference Open and Affirming for the upcoming Building an Inclusive Church training designed to empower individuals to coach ministries through the process of becoming ONA. The training will take place on Friday, November 18th from 3pm to 6pm and Saturday, November 19st from 9am to 3pm at East Woodstock Congregational Church, UCC (220 Woodstock Rd, Woodstock, CT). We would like to have 1-3 volunteers from each church. Please register for the training by Friday, November 4th by emailing[email protected]
There will be a $25 registration fee in order to cover our costs.
If you have additional questions about the training, please contact Greg Gray (706) 254-4026 We hope you can join us for this event as we work to build a Church that embraces all people!
November 18 7:30pm
Connecticut ONA Worship Service
East Woodstock Congregational Church
Please join Connecticut Conference Open and Affirming for the upcoming Connecticut ONA Worship Service on Friday, November 18th at 7:30pm, when we will gather to worship with a time of Holy Communion, and celebrate the ministries of those being trained this weekend. This event is open to all, and all are welcome. Bring your friends and families!!!
We hope to see you at all these events, and appreciate your help in spreading the word!
May grace and peace prove stronger,
Greg Gray
CT Conference ONA Ministry Team, chair

Conference sends teams to Orlando to offer support, witness…

The Connecticut Conference sent two teams of first responders to Orlando, Florida, to offer care, support and public witness following the mass shooting that left 50 people dead and 53 wounded, most of them part of the gay Latino/a community. The C.A.R.E. (Church Awareness Response Effort) Team is made up of members of three New England Conferences, CTUCC, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The first team of responders, The Rev. Emily Heath of Exeter, NH, and Chris Breen, a seminarian from Cambridge, MA, arrived in Orlando on the morning of June 14th in time to join a gathering with national UCC staff, Florida Conference staff and Florida pastors.

A second team of first responders composed of Connecticut clergy went to Orlando on June 15.  They are: The Rev. Thea Racelis, pastor of the South Congregational Church of Middletown, The Rev. Jack Davidson, Associate Minister of the First Church of Christ Congregational in Redding, and The Rev. Mia Douglas, Director of Discipleship at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford.

Read more here  http://www.ctucc.org/news/20160614_orlando_teams.html

Mia DouglasEmily HeathJack DavidsonChris BreenThea Racelis