Wisconsin Clergy Issue Statement Affirming Christian Inclusivity

On May 12, 1997, a diverse group of Madison area congregations published "A Madison Affirmation: On Homosexuality and Christian Faith." The statement was signed by clergy of the American Baptist, Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Quaker, Moravian, United Methodist, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, and the Unitarian Universalist and Reform Jewish movements. The text of the statement appears below:

"Jesus Christ calls us to love God and our neighbor as ourselves.As Christian clergy we embrace gay and lesbian persons as our neighbors. From our reading of scripture and from our pastoral experiences, we believe there is sufficient evidence to conclude that homosexuality isneither sickness nor sin. For too long, homosexual persons have been condemned and mistreated by the followers of Jesus Christ. Sadly, the Bible has been misused in support of this condemnation. This abuse of scripture must end. Heterosexual and homosexual persons are children of God, created in God's image. We invite Christians to prayerfully re-examine scripture and their consciences for any vestiges of hatred or prejudice against their homosexual brothers and sisters.

We strongly uphold the family as the basic social unit in which we are called to live together and to give and receive nurture and support. We often find the term "family values" applied to only some Christian families. Gay and lesbian persons live among us as our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, uncles and aunts, nephews and nieces. We believe in the value of loving, committed families for all God's children. We support families who provide love and affirmation for each of their members. We are saddened and concerned by the breakdown of the family that stems from various forms of infidelity,violence, and failure to maintain long-term loving commitments among both heterosexual and homosexual communities.

• We commit ourselves to the encouragement and blessing of relationships that meet the test of fidelity and loving nurture.
• we believe it is time to eliminate all policies and practices which create barriers and restrictions to the full participation of gay and lesbian Christians in all of the privileges and responsibilities of church membership. Recognizing that our churches still speak and act out of our long-standing prejudices:
• we hope and pray that we will acknowledge our sin and be forgiven for our ignorance, fear, arrogance and self-righteousness;
• we commit ourselves and encourage others to engage in the study of scripture and open dialog with other disciplines to allow the Holy Spirit to teach new understanding;
• we rejoice in the refusal of many gay and lesbian Christians to abandon or be forced out of their church homes;
• we are moved by their gracious response to years of intolerance and inspired by their creative and courageous service to the gospel of Jesus Christ;
• we consider these sisters and brothers to be a unique, holy, and precious gift to all of us who struggle to become the family of God.
• we hope and pray that those who have left our churches will in God's time return to full and unqualified membership in the Christian community and by their presence help us to be renewed as the church of Jesus Christ."

The initial reading of the statement took place at a press conference in the First Congregational United Church of Christ. For additional information, please contact: The Rev. Paul Kittlaus, First Congregational UCC, Madison, WI; telephone (608) 233-9751.

from the frames version of uniting sexuality and faith