Who Is Welcome at Christ's Table?

From the early days of the church as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles there were questions about what it took to be a Christian and who should be allowed into the new church.  The conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39) and of the Centurion Cornelius (Acts 10) roiled the church and sparked the first church council (Acts 15).  By the time of Paul's travels and letter to the Galatians it was clear that some people were clinging to old distinctions and divisions in contradiction of the message of Christ (Galatians 3).  Historically the larger church has struggled with distinctions related to circumcision, race, and gender.  At present our denomination is divided over the full or partial inclusion of persons who are members of sexual minorities.  At St. James we believe in full inclusion of all persons without regard to anything other than the profession of Christ as their lord and savior.

Diversity

On December 12, 2001, St. James became a More Light Church by adopting the following Statement of Inclusion.

We the congregation of St. James United Presbyterian Church publicly affirm our intention to be a house of prayer for all people, offering membership to those who accept baptism and who make a public profession of faith in Jesus as Lord.  We are particularly sensitive to welcome persons from those groups whose voices have been long silenced.  We further invite all active members to participate in the sacraments and to participate in parish government by voting and holding office.

We join with likeminded congregations by affirming that “Following the risen Christ, and seeking to make the Church a true community of hospitality, the mission of More Light Presbyterians is the full participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender people of faith in the life, ministry, and witness of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)."  (More Light Presbyterians Mission Statement)

Our study and prayer on this issue includes reflection on the principles of inclusion found in Acts 10, Galatians 3, The Brief Statement of Faith, G-5 of The Book of Order, and the St. James Creed.

Inclusive Language

We believe that in public and private worship our metaphors for God should reflect all the variety of gender, race, and language God is using to communicate with us.  We are uncomfortable, however, with the removal of all aspects of gender and the specifics of embodiment from descriptions of God.  In other words, to us God is never an it but always a living entity offering us personal relationship.  In current theological jargon, God is always thou.  Sometimes a mother, sometimes a father but always a great companion seeking relationship and offering and receiving love.

We believe that descriptions of people of faith should be fully inclusive of all the variety possible within the human condition.

For Further Study

More Light Presbyterians