From Victoria EH Johnson, Diocesan LGBTQ+ Ministry:
As many of us know, on January 21, at the Inauguration Prayer Service, Bishop Budde pleaded that we have mercy on those who are scared right now. She explicitly called out our LGBTQ+ siblings, as well as our siblings who were not born in this land.
As a gender fluid and bisexual child of God and Episcopalian myself, I was very scared on January 21, and it was deeply meaningful for me that once again, the Episcopal Church showed up for me and my fellow rainbow siblings. The welcoming and affirming practices of the Episcopal Church have always been an important spiritual sanctuary for me. In this time, we are called to spread the Good News that there is a church that loves those of us who are different as we are, for those differences, not in spite of them. Because that’s how God loves us.
To this end, we are gathering a new diocesan ministry group to work with and under the Multicultural Ministry and Community Transformation Office. One goal of the group is to strategically coordinate the Pride events for the Diocese and work towards supporting congregations that have been showing up for their own community prides.
We also plan to have more sustained efforts throughout the year to connect folks via events and other avenues of support, like the January 13 churchwide webinar on Building a Fighting Church that so many of us showed up for! More importantly, this ministry group will work together to help our parishes make sure that when those of us who are scared or hurting come to church, we live up to being the safe church that we are promising. Even well-intentioned people are capable of further harm to those coming in injured and seeking community.
We are hoping to have a meeting at the beginning of March to work on planning Pride and to decide on a name for this ministry. For those interested, please share your availability here. And stay tuned for future opportunities for congregations to share what support they’d like from such a ministry.
We are tasked with living in harder times, but I fully believe we are more than equipped to answer this call, and I pray only that we have the love and bravery to answer it.
With a grateful heart from this Queer for all the support I’ve personally received from you, the Diocese of Olympia arm of the church,
Victoria EH Johnson
I’m a 67 yo lesbian, training for lay ministry. Would be interested.
I am an eighty-seven year old lesbian with a bad knee who worships at St. Antonyof Egypt in Silverdale. Like others, I have concerns about the increased vulnerability that I now experience as a married gay woman dependent on my partner’s federal pension and our dependence on Social Security. My heart goes out to our transgender and non-binary friends. I am available to help as my health permits–I’m a pretty fair writer.
Hi Esther, thank you!! You and your partner are in our prayers in these troubling times. We’ll get you connected…please share your availability in this poll: https://dioceseofolympia1551.formstack.com/forms/diooly_lgbtqia2s, or email me at aelliott@ecww.org and we’ll get you looped in!
I am a cisgender, heterosexual woman, who has never conformed to what binary believes a “woman” should be. I’m also a writer, who’s faith informs my passion for the “least of these.” I also love people who are, and are possibly, queer themselves. Very interested.
Started to fill out the information query. When you say availability to gather, is that online or in person? If in person, where would that be?
Hello April! We are gathering online for now. There may be opportunity to gather in-person later but that will be determined by the group at a later time.
My adult child is trans, and I’d be interested .