"This church is open to all persons and affirming of each person without regard to race, color, physical or mental abilities, or sexual orientation."

This statement, which appears in our bulletin every Sunday, represents the commitment of Robbinsdale United Church of Christ not just to "be open to everybody," but to be intentional in our affirmation of those who may have been prejudged or marginalized by churches in the past.

At our annual meeting in 1990, after a year of study and discernment, we passed a resolution (below) to become an "Open and Affirming" congregation of the United Church of Christ. We were the third congregation in Minnesota to do so.

We welcome and celebrate families of all configurations, and we have been blessed by the leadership of both clergy and lay people who might have been left out of Christian ministry in other settings.

We have an active GLBT fellowship group which meets several times each year, typically for potlucks at members’ homes.

Information on The United Church of Christ Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns is available here.

May 20, 1990 - Resolution

Joining other congregations and the 15th General Synod of the United Church of Christ, Robbinsdale United Church of Christ covenants to be open and affirming to all people, including lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

We believe that people of all sexual orientations share the worth that comes from being unique individuals created by God;

We welcome lesbian, gay and bisexual people to join our congregation in the same spirit and manner used in the acceptance of any new members;

We recognize the presence of ignorance, fear and hatred in the church and in our culture, and covenant to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, and we seek to include and support those who, because of this fear and prejudice, find themselves in exile from a spiritual community;

We seek to address the needs and advocate the concerns of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in our church and in society;

We join together as a covenantal community, to celebrate and share the reassurance that we are equal participants in the love and grace of God.

This church further declares itself open to all persons, and affirming of each person without regard to race, sex, color, physical or mental abilities, or sexual orientation.

RUCC IS A JUST PEACE CHURCH

Robbinsdale United Church of Christ has been a Just Peace Church since the fall of 1995. We completed a process which included reading Susan Thistlewaite's book, "A Just Peace Church."

Just Peace can be defined as the presence of friendship, justice and common security from violence. A Just Peace Church works to bring about the biblical vision of "shalom," that is, a vision of wholeness, healing, justice, righteousness, equality, unity, freedom and community. Our just peace statement is as follows.

As a congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ, we recognize that God is calling us to bring justice and make peace in our world, in our community and in our own lives. Confessing that this call challenges our individual and corporate lives, we covenant among ourselves and with God, to seek the way of justice and peace, so as to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of all who experience injustice and violence in our community, nation, and the world, and to reach out to those people and to understand those problems and issues which are often overlooked.