Steinbach United Church journeys to affirmation

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This article was published 28/05/2021 (1452 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steinbach United Church has become the first congregation in Steinbach to formally adopt an inclusivity designation, and church leaders say the key to the journey has been to take it slow.

“This has been eight years in the making,” Rev. Paul DuVal said in an interview last week.

On March 14, the church held a special service to celebrate its new status as an affirming ministry that includes people of all genders and sexual orientations in its work and ministry.

The term comes from Affirm United, an independent organization that “works for the full inclusion of people of all gender identities and sexual orientations in The United Church of Canada and Canadian society.”

Lois Burr and Gay Boese, members of Steinbach United Church’s affirm committee, said the term also describes inclusivity on the basis of age, ethnicity, ability, and socio-economic status.

The committee formed in 2012 around the question of what it means to be an affirming ministry.

“Our purpose was to educate, to engage people in conversations, to help people hear and listen,” Boese, the committee’s founding chairperson, explained.

The United Church of Canada became affirming in 1988, and Boese said members in Steinbach felt it was high time to consider applying that designation locally.

It wasn’t long before developments outside the church walls forced Steinbach to reckon with the issue of inclusivity.

In 2013, controversy erupted across Hanover School Division when the provincial government introduced anti-bullying legislation known as Bill 18. Supporters said the bill contained much-needed protections for LGBTQ+ students, while critics said the bill infringed on religious beliefs. Communities and congregations quickly chose sides.

“It became real, it was no longer something that was ‘out there,’” Boese recalled.

In 2016, Steinbach hosted its first Pride march. Around that time, a member of Steinbach United Church delivered a powerful and personal Sunday message about LGBTQ+ inclusivity.

“There’s a lesson here, that personal relationship is so important,” Burr recalled thinking.

Through it all, the affirm committee kept working, organizing workshops, Bible studies, documentary screenings, drama performances, and guest speakers. They drew on resources from Affirm United and worked with Steinbach Neighbours for Community and Winnipeg’s Rainbow Resource Centre.

Division or exodus is sometimes the outcome when a Christian church sets out to revise its position on issues of gender and sexuality.

“Respect for the journey” is how Burr said Steinbach United Church avoided that fate. At first, Boese said some members felt the church was already welcoming, and that a formal designation was superfluous. Others were keen on pursing the designation, arguing the church’s core documents should remain in step with its practices.

DuVal said that while the United Church isn’t immune from infighting, its deep roots in social ministry help it navigate choppy waters.

“We don’t go looking for differences, we look for commonalities,” he explained.

Boese said the slow, deliberate process enabled “a culture shift” to occur. People “sincerely felt it” rather than having a stance imposed on them.

“It’s become a culture, to be an inclusive community,” Burr said.

The church was without a pastor for a while before DuVal arrived in January 2019. Boese said the congregation used the time to figure out who they were apart from clergy. Burr said the PIE acronym (public, intentional, explicit) helped the church answer the question of what it means to be affirming. She said they want to “truly invite” people to belong.

The affirm process culminated in a November 2020 drive-thru vote. Ballots were attached to hockey sticks to maintain physical distancing. The memory made Boese and Burr laugh, but they said they were glad the pandemic didn’t derail the process.

According to the church’s annual report, 61 of 62 votes cast supported becoming affirming, easily surpassing the 75 percent threshold. A virtual vote the following month to ratify a new Statement of Commitment was unanimous.

Steinbach United Church is the 25th ministry in Manitoba to attain the designation, spokespeople for Affirm United and the United Church of Canada said via email. In addition to churches, regional councils, assisted living homes, and education and retreat centres can also become affirming ministries.

The movement is gaining ground in the denomination, with nine ministries across Canada poised to become affirming in June, Affirm United said.

The affirmation process entailed changes to Steinbach United Church’s core documents, Sunday liturgy, and building.

The church’s expanded Statement of Commitment now reads, “Moved by an ever-changing spirit, we will live our lives as followers of Jesus and affirm our trust in God’s love to all people, providing a safe, nurturing environment where we accept, respect, welcome, and include all persons of any age, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, marital status, social or economic circumstance in all aspects of our ministry.”

It is pictured alongside a Venn diagram comprised of three words chosen by the congregation: inclusive, compassionate, and spiritual.

Boese said the church has also amended its policies on marriage, baptism, and funerals.

“The next step will be living that out.”

New songs, like “My Love Colours Outside the Lines” and “Draw the Circle Wide,” were added to the repertoire. When they sing older songs, “we are understanding the words we sing differently,” Boese said.

The church also installed an elevator and new signage on washroom doors.

Mayor Earl Funk accepted an invitation to deliver pre-recorded remarks at the March 14 special service, which is available on YouTube.

Funk said he was honoured “to help celebrate with the United Church this special moment in their church history.”

“Real love is loving everyone in every circumstance in every time,” Funk said.

“I’m just so, so excited to be here today, and I just want to encourage the United Church in the good work that they do.”

Boese said members later said they were pleased by the mayor’s participation.

The vote is behind them, but Burr said the work of being an affirming ministry continues. The committee is exploring partnerships with other local churches and community groups.