Sunday, June 7th – 11:15 am on our YouTube channel.
In 1987 the Unitarian Universalist Association established the Common Vision Planning Committee, a diverse group of clergy and laity that was tasked with collecting information about how welcomed and accepted gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons felt in their Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations. (Our own Doug Strong was a member of Common Vision.) The result of their work was the creation of a path for churches to be certified “A Welcoming Congregation”. Shortly thereafter, the United Church of Christ began their own path, where UCC churches to be certified “Open & Affirming” congregations. The Douglas, MI United Church of Christ has been an open and affirming congregation for thirty years. On Sunday we will watch their minister’s inspiring message in celebration of Gay Pride month. Reverend Salvatore Sapienza is the pastor of Douglas UCC. Pastor Sal is a graduate of New York University (NYU) and All Faiths Seminary in New York City. He is a former Catholic monk and an ordained interfaith minister with Privilege of Call in the United Church of Christ