Community
St. John's MCC Community
An
Inclusive Community
Throughout our entire history, inclusion has been, and continues to be, a hallmark and a strength of St. John’s MCC. As a congregation we fully believe and embrace God’s call to diversity. For as God reminds us through the Prophet Isaiah: “Even those I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” (Isaiah 56:7).
Inclusion at St. John’s MCC is evident in many aspects across our congregation; including racial diversity with people of European, African, Asian, Hispanic and Native American heritage; and gender diversity with women, men and transgender people. We welcome people from all socioeconomic strata. Our congregation ranges from infants in arms to young adult to middle aged to vibrant members in their 70s and 80s. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, straight and questioning are all welcomed to worship and minister with us.
Inclusion is truly reflected in the leadership of our church. Over the 25 plus years of our existence, our four senior pastors have been a gay African-American man, a heterosexual white woman, a gay white man, and now an African-American, lesbian woman. We truly believe that God’s gifts can be manifest through all to the edification of the entire body regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation or economic standing.
Our ministries are widely varied including our Joyful Morning Choir which features more traditional church music to our evening service featuring songs from the African-American gospel tradition. We also have other ministries which reach out to men, women, singles, children and youth, college students and those interested in various aspects of the Christian walk like Discipleship, Evangelism and Christian Social Action. The MCC denomination recognized St. John’s MCC as a leader in multicultural programming with an award at the MCC General Conference in 1997. The framed certificate is displayed in the hallway near the fellowship hall.
We believe our lives are all richer, more exciting, and blessed by God because of the rich tapestry of people, gifts and ministries we experience.
Common Questions about St. John’s MCC
What kind of church is St. John’s MCC?
We are a community committed to following the teachings and example of Jesus, open to all people, preaching and teaching the inclusive love and justice of God found in and through Jesus the Christ. As part of the Metropolitan Community Churches, we started with a primary outreach to the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender community that has broadened to include all of God’s people.
So St. John’s MCC is a “Gay” Church?
While the primary outreach of all MCCs is to the L/G/B/T/Q/Q community, anyone and everyone is welcome at St. John’s MCC. We welcome and embrace people from all walks of life who seek to enter into, build or deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ.
So you believe it is possible to be lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and/or transgendered AND a Christian?
ABSOLUTELY! Modern Biblical Scholarship continues to discover and reveal that the eight Biblical references to homosexual behavior, when taken in context and with a proper understanding of the original language and historical setting, do not condemn sexual orientation as we understand it today nor committed, monogamous relationships in the L/G/B/T community. We know and believe that God made us and loves us all . . . just as we are! We have a variety of literature available to explore these ideas in more detail.
Isn’t it true that the Christian church has long been a very judgmental, hypocritical institution?
It is true that the Christian Church, as a whole, has been the perpetrator of many wrongs and injustices throughout the ages since its inception. Because the Church exists within the context of history and society and is made up of human beings, there has been much that is wrong with the institution. However, these wrongs do not reflect the universal love of God nor Jesus Christ’s message of redemption and reconciliation. In MCC, we worship God, who is inclusive in every respect . . . In love of all humanity and in being reflected through all people . . . regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation or any other factor. Jesus himself was very much a revolutionary. He broke many social taboos of his day in order to interact with and uplift the great variety of people he encountered. Christianity, as Christ teaches it, does not demean or malign ANYONE, but rather reaches out to, welcomes, and embraces ALL people as unique and special creations made by God alone.