“As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”
~ Acts 8:36-38
Since its very beginnings, the church of Jesus Christ has wrestled over issues of inclusion and exclusion. Who can be received as a member? What are the qualifications, barriers, or tests required? Who is permitted to assume a leadership role?
In the Bible, the book of Deuteronomy is very clear that the sexual minorities of that day – eunuchs – were not allowed to be members of the worshiping community; in fact, they were excluded altogether from Jewish life. However, in the book of Acts, we find the painful yet empowering story that poignantly demonstrates the life of grace we find in Jesus Christ – Philip’s encounter with an Ethiopian eunuch. In short, this outcast wants to be baptized. Recognizing the boundless invitation of God’s inclusive love in Christ, Philip receives the eunuch as a member of the church.
Beginning as early as 1969, the United Church of Christ has wrestled with similar questions of inclusion and exclusion with regard to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. However, increasingly, the UCC is seeking to be a place of extravagant welcome for LGBT persons.
In 1972, the UCC ordained the first openly gay person into ministry, the Rev. William R. Johnson. In 1985, the UCC’s General Synod declared itself to be “open and affirming” and called upon all settings of the church to become similarly poised to welcome LGBT persons as full members of the church. Despite various perspectives on human sexuality in our local congregations, the movement for full inclusion of LGBT persons continues to spread throughout all aspects of our denomination’s life and witness.
From the United Church of Christ website.