Equality Statement
OPENING AND AFFIRMING
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Olympia, Washington
Adopted April 15, 2015
"We welcome all people to worship the living God..."
To be inclusive means to accept all people as loved by God. We recognize and honor the rich complexity and diversity of people God calls to our faith community,
including people who disagree with this Open and Affirming Statement.
​Though not all may agree, we find our unity in Christ who loves each of us and all of us together.
The words “Open and Affirming” are used by congregations to affirm the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (including nonbinary), and queer (LGBTQ) people in the church's life and ministry.
​Unlike many churches that say they "welcome all people" but then attempt to change people, LGBTQ people know that an Open and Affirming church truly welcomes LGBTQ people exactly as they are. We are committed to honor each person's privacy around sexual identity just as we honor privacy around any other part of each person's life.
In declaring our congregation Open and Affirming, we wish to welcome LGBTQ people into all parts of the church's life and ministry, including ordained ministry as a Ruling Elder, Teaching Elder, or Deacon. We seek to appreciate the vital worth of each human being regardless of their sexual identity or orientation.
The Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church, PCUSA