The Haydenville Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, is a community of faith-keeping and faith-seeking people who joyfully embrace the diversity in our congregation and affirm the dignity and worth of every person.
We believe that all of us, with all our differences, were created in the image of God. And, we further believe that discrimination is incompatible with Christ’s Gospel of unconditional love. We welcome into full membership and participation in our church persons of every race, ethnicity, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, and economic or marital status. We affirm and celebrate all loving and committed relationships. We acknowledge the history of the institutional church in condemning and excluding gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, and in condoning such discrimination by its silence.
We commit ourselves to work to end such oppression and welcome all our sisters, brothers, and siblings to share in the life and leadership, ministry and fellowship, worship, sacraments, responsibilities and blessings of participation in our congregation. We remember God’s promise spoken through the prophet Hosea, “I will show love to those who were called unloved and to those who were called “not my people”–I will say “you are my people,” and they will answer, “You are our God.” (Hosea 2:23).
As such, we declare ourselves to be an Open and Affirming Church.