First Parish Church of Groton : Welcoming Congregation

First Parish Church of Groton is a Welcoming Congregation

First Parish Church of Groton became a Welcoming Congregation by a congregational vote on Sunday, October 28, 2001.

What is a Welcoming Congregation?

A Welcoming Congregation is inclusive and expressive of concerns of gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender persons at every level of congregational life -- in worship, in program, and in social occasions, welcoming not only their presence but the unique gifts and particularities of their lives as well.
A Welcoming Congregation, as an advocate for gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender people, attends to legislative developments and works to promote justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society. It speaks out when the rights and dignity of gay, bisexual, lesbian, and transgender people are at stake.
A Welcoming Congregation celebrates the lives of all people and their ways of expressing their love for each other.

History of the First Parish Welcoming Congregation process

The Welcoming Congregation Team of First Parish Church of Groton was formed in January 1999 for the purpose of assisting our congregation to become more inclusive and welcoming in its membership. The WC team followed the UUA Board of Trustees recommended program that leads to a church membership vote on whether or not to become a Welcoming Congregation.

The Unitarian Universalist Association's Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns provides a comprehensive manual for following the Welcoming Congregation Program. Our Welcoming Congregation Team used this manual, as well as the UUA's list of action steps, as guidelines.

On Sunday, October 28, 2001 a large turnout of church members overwhelmingly approved the two warrant articles. A unanimous vote approved Article 1, the non-discrimination amendment to the by-laws, and 95% vote approved Article 2, the Welcoming Congregation position statement. We applied to UUA for official status and this was granted on November 29, 2001.