At a Special Congregational Meeting that took place November 26, 2023, congregants overwhelmingly voted that United Churches of Langley join Affirm United! At a special celebration service Affirm United/S'Affirm Ensemble representatives will join us to certify that we are an Affirming Ministry!
In Spring 2020, our recently retired minister, Hilde Seal, suggested that we form a team to explore becoming an officially Affirming Ministry.
Affirming Ministries are endorsed by The United Church of Canada and are aimed to be specifically inclusive to gender identity and sexual orientation minorities. Although our first focus is on Queer (LGBTQ+) inclusion, the Affirming Ministries process recognizes that justice and inclusion apply to many different marginalized communities, such as those based on race, age, size, physical or mental ability, class, and family configuration.
The purpose of an Affirming Ministry team is to educate the congregation on how to support Queer people and other minorities, to discern with the congregation if it wishes to become an officially Affirming Ministry, and to continue with affirming activities and education once the official label is attained.
Some Resources:
Our parent ministry: Affirm United
Affirm United Frequently Asked Questions
For a fuller description of the work of the Affirm United Team, please see the Introduction in the Open Hearts resource.
In short, many groups have been singled out by society, and sometimes particularly by the Christian church, for discrimination and hatred.
I’m Queer. Will I be safe at United Churches of Langley?
Here are some resources you can visit to learn more about our community.
We are a community of inclusion and a people of welcome. We understand that in congregations like ours, which hold their dogmas loosely and their community tightly, there is still a chance for mistakes to be made. Interpersonal dialogue can be a site of just such mistakes.
For those interested in a Biblical perspective on queer acceptance, here are some resources we recommend.
For those interested in a Biblical perspective on queer acceptance, here are some resources we recommend.