www.churchofchristinyale.org
Our Ministry

Our Open and Affirming Mission

In 1989, following the example of our General Synod and other UCC congregations, we declared ourselves to be an Open and Affirming Church and incorporated this declaration into our mission. With the other “welcoming congregations” in the New Haven area, we celebrate together, praising God for the diversity of our community, and affirming that God truly loves us all.

OPEN AND AFFIRMING DECLARATION
Adopted by the Congregation in 1989

In view of the recommendation of the General Synod of the United Church of Christ and as an expression of the practice and conviction of this congregation we declare ourselves to be an Open and Affirming Church made up of and welcoming people of any race, sex, age, nationality, physical ability, mental condition, or sexual orientation.

This statement is grounded in the following convictions:

• God knows, cares for and loves all persons; through Jesus Christ, God forgives and reconciles all persons; through the Spirit, God sustains and empowers all persons.
  
  
• The Church is in need of forgiveness whenever it fails to affirm the full humanity of any person or group.
  
  
• The common commitment to Jesus Christ binds into a caring community persons of diverse gifts, backgrounds, needs, and life situations.

• Incorporate every person fully into the worship, fellowship, and leadership of the congregation; and to provide opportunity for free and open discussion on matters of faith and public issues.
  
  
• Protest any intimidation, harassment, neglect of, or violence against any group in this society, with special attention to those who have often been victims such as gay or lesbian persons, people of color, ethnic groups, the elderly, children, and persons with handicaps.
  
  
• Advocate the basic civil rights of all persons in such areas as employment, housing, and legal protection.

OPEN AND AFFIRMING BROCHURE

THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
The history of the UCC is a dynamic one, spanning five centuries and leading to the eventual unions of four denominations in 1957. Our communion is both a part of the modern ecumenical movement, and also deeply rooted in the history of our country and the Protestant Reformation.

As people of God, we have always welcomed and been enriched by members of many cultures. The United Church of Christ is intentionally inclusive and proudly pluralistic. As a uniting church, we continuously seek ways to fulfill the scriptural mandate, which we have assumed as our motto: “That They May All Be One.”

We have a long tradition of social justice, with roots in the anti-slavery struggles of the mid-nineteenth century, and even earlier, in the Puritans' vision of a just community bound together by covenant. In 1853 Antoinette Brown became the first U.S. woman ordained to Christian ministry, by a Congregational [UCC] church. In the 1960’s the civil-rights movement came into its own, led by men and women like the Rev. Andrew Young, a UCC pastor.

In 1972 the UCC ordained the first openly gay man called to the Christian ministry. Since then, numerous UCC General Synods and Annual Conferences have taken formal “Open and Affirming” actions.

Today, task forces and committees are at work throughout the UCC, as nearly 400 of our congregations have become “Open and Affirming” expanding our identity and enriching the life of our fellowship.

SHALOM UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 
Shalom United Church of Christ dates back to New Haven's Puritan past when Yale College President Thomas Clap decided in 1757 that Yale students should have their own congregation. Prior to this time, students and faculty worshipped at Center Church on the Green.

Since these colonial times, our congregation has had a tradition of commitment to peace, justice, and equality. Our civil-rights activism dates back to our involvement with the Amistad in New Haven’s harbor.

Today, we are a mix of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and local residents who worship together Sunday evenings. Our members sustain an annual budget of which nearly one-fourth is dedicated to the support of local urban and global service organizations. Our social action committee cooks and serves dinner at a local homeless shelter, services an apartment for families in need of emergency housing, and participates in Habitat for Humanity.

In 1989, following the example of our General Synod and other UCC congregations, we declared ourselves to be an “Open and Affirming Church” and incorporated this declaration into our mission. With the other “welcoming congregations” in the New Haven area, we celebrate together, praising God for the diversity of our community, and affirming that God truly loves us all.

PERSONAL JOURNEYS
Our congregation includes long-time churchgoers as well as others who have come to Shalom searching for a new community of faith. While our individual journeys vary widely, for each of us, Shalom United Church of Christ has become a spiritual home. We hope the following personal story helps illustrate Shalom's commitment to our mission as a vibrant, open and affirming congregation.

"HOMECOMING"
I was raised Presbyterian, and grew up believing in a loving God. But, as a teenager, when I came out privately to my minister, I was told to pray that this was just a phase I was going through. As time passed, it became clear that my place at Christ's Table was tenuous at best. At age thirty-two, I met my life-partner and settled down. Raised a Lutheran, he too felt rejected by the church because of his sexuality, and had not attended regularly in many years.

A decade later, my mother passed away. Her memorial service stirred something deep inside me. I shared with my partner that I wished we could find a progressive Christian congregation. He had heard that the United Church of Christ ordained openly gay and lesbian ministers, and that many UCC churches had adopted open and affirming mission statements. The following Sunday we attended the Shalom United Church of Christ.

Shalom's liturgy was simple and moving; the congregation warm and diverse. It was communion Sunday, and as we gathered in a circle around the Lord's Table, I felt a deep sense of Christian fellowship that I had never experienced before. We began worshiping on a weekly basis.

A few months later Matthew Sheppard was beaten to death in Wyoming. At Shalom, mainstream members grieved openly. From the pulpit, Matthew was compared to Jesus, crucified on a fence-post and left to die for his refusal to deny the path that God had given him to follow. Later that year we joined Shalom United Church of Christ.

Open and affirming are not just words in Shalom's mission statement. Over the years we have both been called to serve our congregation in meaningful ways. We have prepared coffee hour, cooked dinners at a homeless shelter, and held positions on the church council. We have ushered, read liturgy, and helped administer communion.

Shalom United Church of Christ has blessed us, once again, with a seat at the Lord's Table. But, more than this, Shalom has eagerly welcomed us to be a part of a loving community, a community filled with Spirit, calling each of us into stewardship, and granting us all a full and equal place in God's Bountiful Home.