You Are Welcome. You Are Affirmed.
At United Methodist Church of Anacortes, we believe that every person is created in the image of God and is a beloved part of God’s diverse creation.
We fully welcome and affirm people of every sexual orientation and gender identity. LGBTQ+ people are not simply welcome to attend our church. You are welcome to participate fully in the life, worship, leadership, and ministry of this congregation.
We believe LGBTQ+ people should be able to live openly and authentically, without being asked to hide or change who they are in order to belong. We celebrate LGBTQ+ people and their relationships and families as part of the beautiful diversity of God’s creation.
What does “fully affirming” mean to us?
It means that:
LGBTQ+ people are welcome in worship, membership, ministry, and leadership.
Same-gender couples may be married in our church and by our pastor.
LGBTQ+ people may serve at every level of church leadership, including ordained ministry.
Transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people are welcomed and affirmed as who they are.
We respect people’s names and pronouns.
LGBTQ+ families are welcomed and celebrated in the life of our congregation.
We seek to stand against discrimination, exclusion, and harm directed toward LGBTQ+ people in the church and in the wider community.
We recognize that churches have not always been safe places for LGBTQ+ people. Christian communities, including our own United Methodist tradition, have caused real hurt through exclusion, condemnation, and silence. We cannot undo that history simply by saying that everyone is welcome.
We can, however, choose a different way.
We seek to be a community where you do not have to wonder whether there is a hidden qualification behind the word welcome. You are invited to bring your whole self. You are invited to worship, serve, lead, question, grow, love, and belong alongside us.
We believe that following Jesus leads us toward a community in which barriers are broken down, those who have been pushed aside are brought near, and the full dignity of every person is honored.
There is a place for you here.