Hello

We, the members and friends of Arlington United Church, welcome all who seek to know Christ, and we honor those who are Christian as our siblings in Christ.  We believe that all people are created in the image of God and are therefore precious in God’s sight.  We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and guides us as we strive to live the way that we are taught through scripture.  We admit that there is a seeming conflict with how to interpret the Bible and what we know through our relationships with family and friends in the LGBTQ+ communities. We all wish to live a fruitful life where we love and experience God and the grace God offers to each of us.

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The Bible provides layers of understanding, and we each are working to discover how this applies to our own lives.  We openly struggle to understand the context of the Word of God in the ancient world versus today’s world.  We prayerfully call upon God the Father, Christ his Son, and the Holy Spirit to speak to us and illuminate the written Word for us.  As individuals, we may come to discern the meaning of the Word differently, but we continue to be united in faithfully reading, studying, and growing in our understanding and relationship with God and others.  Knowing that we are all sinners who rely on the grace of God, we are compelled by the Holy Spirit to find careful and pastorally sensitive ways to live out our calling in Christ.  

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As we belong to two protestant denominations, we seek to determine our own path in relationship to the LGBTQ+ community.  The United Methodist Church welcomes people of the LGBTQ+ community and has resolved that Christian members of the LGBTQ+ community may be ordained and sees marriage as a covenant between two people of faith, no matter their sexual orientation.  The Evangelical Covenant Church believes that faithfulness in heterosexual marriage and celibacy in singleness constitute the Christian standard for human sexuality.  The ECC welcomes people of the LGBTQ+ community, but it prohibits ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians.  Covenant pastors are not allowed to perform same gender marriages, nor may churches host such weddings.  Our church members continue to discuss these specific concerns but have not yet reached agreement.  We continue our affiliation with the two denominations as a reflection of the differences within our own local church body.  We respect and love each other in our quest to follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Our call to action: We are called to love one another and, in the name of Jesus Christ, to oppose hatred.  Therefore, we stand against all forms of persecution, recognizing that bullying and other forms of violence often target those who are perceived to belong to sexual minorities.  As a local body of Christ, we resolve to continue to make Arlington United Church a welcoming space for sexual minority persons and their families by exhibiting Christlike love and compassion, by humbly repenting of our own sins even as we withhold condemnation of others, and by speaking to all who walk through our doors with equal respect and love.  

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The people of Arlington United Church,
We are united to serve Jesus Christ