All Are Welcome (No Exceptions)
We celebrate God’s gift of diversity and value the wholeness made possible in community equally shared and shepherded by all. We welcome and affirm people of every gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, who are also of every age, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, level of education, and family structure, and of every economic, immigration, marital, and social status, and so much more. We acknowledge that we live in a world of profound social, economic, and political inequities. As followers of Jesus, we commit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and pledge to stand in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed.
LEAVE BLANK
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Background
Over the past 50+ years, Christians in the United States have held fierce debates over faithful views of human sexuality. In 1972, the United Methodist Church denomination added anti-LGBTQ+ language to our bylaws, preventing the full participation of queer individuals (view a full timeline here).
When the denomination doubled down on these restrictions in 2019, Hunt’s Church made the choice to stand apart from these restrictions by becoming a member church of the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN), a social justice organization advocating the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. The above statement is our pledge of our commitment to intersectional affirmation of all people.
We celebrate the 2024 General Conference decisions that removed discriminatory language from our bylaws, and we commit ourselves to continue working for a fully affirming and inclusive culture within and beyond the church.
Marriage Equality Statement
We celebrate the ability of any couple to be legally married in the state of Maryland. A couple who feels God’s spirit at work in their lives may look to the church to bless their wedding. We recognize, support and celebrate the faithful commitments of any two people who come to Hunt’s to be married. We view marriage as a sacred covenant and a lifelong commitment to faithfulness, love, patience and mutual comfort between two individuals and God, as witnessed by family, friends and the congregation who may gather with them.
Our congregation fully supports our pastor if they choose to perform a LGBTQIA+ marriage in either our church building or another location. If our pastor chooses not to officiate a marriage ceremony for a LGBTQIA+ couple, it is their responsibility to assist the couple in finding a United Methodist clergyperson who will officiate the marriage and provide premarital counseling. Our congregation approves the use of our building or grounds for LGBTQIA+ marriages within our usual sanctuary guidelines.