Love Welcomes All

We affirm and include people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer at every level of congregational life—in worship, in program, and in social occasions—welcoming them as whole people.

As a Welcoming Congregation recognized by the UUA, we affirm our commitment to the following actions:

• honor the lives of all people and equally affirm displays of caring and affection without regard for sexual orientation.
• celebrate diversity by using inclusive language and content in worship.
• incorporate an understanding of the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons throughout all of our programs, including religious education.
• affirm and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues and history.
• affirm marriage equality and conduct same-sex weddings.
• advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, promoting justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society. We speak out when the rights and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people are at stake.

We recognize there’s more to learn and more work to do in deepening our understanding about the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.

Listen to an update on our Welcoming Congregation from Dr. Helen Bishop on April 28, 2019.

“What I’m determined to do is continue to remind you…this is our spiritual home, our faith community, but we can’t do it in silence. I’m lesbian, so’s she, so’s she, so’s she. Some of you in your lives which we don’t know much about are either transgender, bisexual, have those things in your background.

“I believe that we should be changing our vocabulary and talking differently to our children. I think every child should know who we are and that we care deeply about them…Everybody is welcome here.

“If you don’t know what your relationships are going to be in the future, this is a place where we can open a door for you, help you with your family issues if you have them, tell you we love you and we are prepared for you.”

Dr. Helen Bishop at UU Fellowship of Hendersonville on April 28, 2019

Resources

Here are local organizations where you can find more information, advocacy, and support from and for our LGBTQ+ community.

• PFLAG Hendersonville – Parents, Families, Friends and Allies United with LGBTQ People to Move Equality Forward! (PFLAG is also on Facebook.)
• Equality NC

Other Welcoming Congregations in Hendersonville:

• Providence Baptist Church
• First Congregational Church
• Calvary Episcopalian Church
• Trinity Presbyterian Church
• Agudas Israel Synagogue