Support Queer Voices in Community of Christ with Harmony's 2023 Pride Shirt
This year's Pride shirt design has been greatly influenced by the rise in anti-Trans legislation around the world, especially in the United States where more than 460 proposed anti-LGBTQ+ bills are currently being considered. Learn more here. About the Campaign and Harmony Proceeds from Harmony's (formerly GALA) third annual Pride shirt campaign will be used to break down walls of division and misunderstanding surrounding issues of sexuality and gender identity in Community of Christ. Harmony works tirelessly to ensure Queer / 2SLGBTQIA+ persons can fully participate in Community of Christ at all levels of the church and in all areas without exception. Last year, we had over 260 (100 more than the previous year!) orders from around the world. Place your order today, and consider shipping another directly to a friend or loved one who would really appreciate it. About the Design Two hands, representing the larger Queer Community and its various intersections, support and protect the growth of a budding plant with Trans flag colors on its leaves. This is symbolic of Queer unity and oneness to protect and ensure the safety, dignity, and legal rights of the Trans Community during these difficult times. We owe it to the Trans Community, who has continually supported other members of the Queer Community for decades, to stand up and fight for their right to exist and thrive. The phrase, "Justice & Joy" is part of Community of Christ's hymnody. Taken from the chorus of "For Everyone Born" (Community of Christ Sings #285), this is a call to action, reminding us that God delights in our social justice work. And God will delight when we are creators of justice and joy, compassion and peace: yes, God will delight when we are creators of justice, justice and joy. See YouTube video from the Beyond the Walls Choir singing this beautiful hymn. Additional Pride Information and Resources Harmony has produced a lot of great Pride resources to help congregations put together a successful booth at their local Pride events. Visit https://www.harmony.lgbt/pride-resources.html to learn more. Questions? Contact us at info@harmony.lgbt.
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Following our Easter celebrations of resurrection, new life, and new beginnings, it is natural to begin to explore new opportunities for invitation and mission in our communities. Without a doubt, this is the desire of Jesus Christ who calls us to establish communities of joy, hope, love, and peace around the world. As we explore these opportunities, we’d like to take this moment to share with our allies – particularly those in positions of power and influence – a reminder that it is dangerous to exclude Queer/2SLGBTQIA+ (Queer) voices when discussing their fates as part of congregational, mission center, field, or global church efforts.
Harmony has put into place several mechanisms to help us ensure Queer representation remains at the forefront of every aspect of our programming. We share this for your awareness and to perhaps even assist your expression of ministry with naming and claiming some key boundaries in this holy work.
Nothing about us without us is for us. Over the last few weeks, 39 states across the United States have proposed anti-trans bills in an attempt to completely erase these beautiful members of our community in the name of “protecting children.” We know better than to believe that, and our Trans siblings deserve our undivided attention and action to ensure their lives are safe, legally protected, and embraced as members of our societies.
Click here to track proposed anti-2SLGBTQIA+ legislation across the country. Harmony condemns these heinous attacks on God’s beloved children and calls on the lawmakers proposing such legislation to reverse their positions immediately. In response to what appears to be an all out attack on our community across the United States, Harmony has established an action plan for members and friends of our organization and Community of Christ to help you get involved:
The hymn For Everyone Born (CCS #285) has become central to our denomination’s call to respond to social justice issues just like these. A new verse has been circulating that we found to be most timely and meaningful: For all who have breath, a place at the table, a covenant shared, a welcoming space, a rainbow of race and gender and color, for all who have breath, the chalice of grace, and God will delight when we are creators of justice and joy, compassion and peace: yes, God will delight when we are creators of justice, justice and joy! May we each find the courage, manifest the strength, and live out the inmost call to care for one another in the midst of deep division and uncertainty, and may God delight in this act of love and peace. Amen. Your Harmony Board of Directors Navigating Christian spaces as a Queer/2SLGBTQIA+ (Queer) person takes a great deal of courage!
Taking this year's Community of Christ 2023 World Conference theme ("Courage") to heart, Harmony has designed a compelling and thought-provoking shirt that seeks to refocus the conversation away from what it means to be a courageous church and instead highlight the admirable courage exhibited by the most vulnerable among us for simply existing. Orders can be placed at the link below and will ship on a batch basis (this brings costs down). The first batch will ship March 15. Despite improvements in recent years throughout Community of Christ, members of the Queer Community remain subjected to mistreatment, micro-aggressions, ignorance, and bad theology. As such, it takes a great deal of courage for Queer individuals to walk through our doors, navigate our policies, experience our worship services and programs, attend our conferences and events, and walk alongside us as believers. Christian churches - including Community of Christ - have caused (and continue to cause) a great deal of harm to members of the Queer Community and their families. This campaign reminds us that it is imperative that our inclusive efforts remain rooted in the reality that reconciliation is necessary and deserved. Without reconciliation, Queer people will remain marginalized by those in power who stand by while mistreatment continues. Shirts are available only in black this year as a symbol of bold strength. We have priced these shirts with a small mark-up to help recover the cost of design; however, in most cases this is less than $2.00 USD. As such, if you are in a position to add a donation at check-out, all funds will go to support Harmony's ongoing mission to provide advocacy, education, and resources for Queer voices in Community of Christ. Whether you're attending World Conference in-person or not this year, purchasing a shirt will help raise awareness about our cause, the work we've already accomplished, and the work still yet to be done. If you aren't interested in purchasing a shirt, but would like to make a donation to ensure this work can continue, you may do so at www.harmony.lgbt/donate. Yesterday’s news release by The Associated Press following an interview with Pope Francis is worthy of cautious celebration. Sitting down with AP News, the Pope publicly criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality around the world, stating quite clearly “being homosexual isn’t a crime.” The article goes on to say:
“Francis acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the world support laws that criminalize homosexuality or discriminate against LGBTQ people, and he himself referred to the issue in terms of ‘sin.’ But he attributed such attitudes to cultural backgrounds, and said bishops in particular need to undergo a process of change to recognize the dignity of everyone. ‘These bishops have to have a process of conversion,’ he said, adding that they should apply ‘tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us.’” Harmony celebrates and acknowledges this critical milestone in which a prominent, international Christian leader publicly, intentionally, and explicitly chose to use their influence to save Queer/2SLGBTQIA+ (Queer) lives. While the Pope unfortunately continues to clearly define homosexuality as “sin,” he simultaneously creates a clear distinction between criminal acts (civil code) and sin (scriptural interpretation). We understand that these comments by Pope Francis remain deeply problematic for members of the Queer Community, and we continue to pray for wisdom and change within the Catholic Church in order that more welcoming and affirming position statements continue to be released. However, we also note that even this seemingly simple statement is incredibly significant in its own right. For far too long, criminalization and sin have been viewed by Christians as synonymous when it comes to Queer issues. Having the leader of a major Christian denomination using their power, privilege, and influence to unequivocally condemn the criminalization of homosexuality worldwide is disarming to religious conservatives claiming to be carrying out God’s work through violence, physical harm, conversion therapy, and murder against members of the Queer Community. This statement has the ability to save lives and change hearts on a global scale. Today, we call on Community of Christ leaders to publicly, intentionally, and explicitly call for an immediate end to the criminalization of and violence toward Queer persons around the world. Holy work is often nonlinear. It requires cyclical revisions grounded in restorative justice. We recognize that our own unique institutional histories are anything but simple. Regardless, we continue to offer our support to prioritize this life-saving, holy work in order that we never miss an opportunity to offer sacred specificity: that God loves their Queer children just as they were created to be and that the Church has often made misguided decisions concerning the care of some of the Creator’s most vulnerable in the name of compliance and conformity. Let us continue to courageously appeal for the very best for one another. If we don’t - who will? As the hands and feet of Jesus - we must. Your Harmony Board of Directors We are thrilled to share that the USA Interim Policy authorizing Queer/2SLGBTQIA+ (Queer) participation is interim no more! In collaboration with the USA Team of Apostles, the preexisting interim policy has been reviewed and revised and has now been officially replaced by the December 22, 2022 version. While there is no change in practice, the policy now has updated language, streamlined structure and associated links, and utilizes universal same-sex marriage legalization in the USA as a simplifying factor. (As a reminder, the 2014 interim policy pre-dated the Supreme Court decision that made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. This has further been solidified by the Respect for Marriage Act passed in 2022.) This revision - and the intentional and collaborative resources required to make it a reality - fulfills a commitment made to USA church members in the policy’s first iteration. This commitment read, “The church in the USA will follow these interim policies for two years. At the end of this time the interim policies will be evaluated and revised as needed.” We are grateful for a new precedent in which marginalized communities impacted by church policy are included in the process of their own inclusion. Notable changes include:
As this policy is specific to a single nation (USA), cofchrist.org will not be hosting this document or information related to it. As a denominational hub of administrative and resource-related content, OurMinistryTools.org will be updated to reflect this new policy. In an effort to make this document as accessible as possible, Harmony will proudly host all Community of Christ Queer/2SLGBTQIA+ policies currently in effect on our website as a resource to you. You can expect updates to our website in the coming weeks to reflect this commitment to you. In the meantime, we have provided links to the updated policy as well as the now replaced 2014 interim policy for your information. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@harmony.lgbt. In service, Your Harmony Board of Directors To our members and supporters -
We are thrilled to introduce your 2023 Harmony Board of Directors! We had unanimous support (and one abstention) for this slate of fantastic individuals. Each brings a wealth of unique skills, experiences, and intersections to the board. We are grateful to each board member for committing to give of their time and skills to further the mission of Harmony. We also wish to extend our gratitude to Saundra Merth (outgoing VP) for her support, institutional memory, and passion for inclusion in Community of Christ. Saundra was instrumental in our successful launch of merchandise fundraising and served as GALA President in previous years. Thank you, Saundra! We will miss you, but we know you will continue to bring about positive change wherever you go! Please hold the board in your prayers as we begin onboarding new members while continuing to lead the organization. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@harmony.lgbt. Onward! Your Harmony Board of Directors Following Saturday’s deadly shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs that left at least five dead and 25 injured, the members of Harmony’s Board of Directors offer their deepest condolences to the families, chosen families, and friends of all those who were targeted. In the wake of yet another deadly attack on innocent, precious members of the Queer/2SLGBTQIA+ Community, we find comfort in the teachings of Jesus Christ who modelled and taught the importance of justice, peace, and healing as a call to action - not through "thoughts and prayers" alone. The hymn When the Darkness Overwhelms Us (CCS #314) reminds us of this calling in each verse. A particularly compelling and timely line is verse 3: When in weary isolation We’ve lost our courage to care, When our captive spirits perish In the bondage of despair, Free our arms for action Reaching for another’s hand, Free our feet for marching or move to boldly make a stand. May the One who calls us to this holy work place their spirit of reassurance upon us to encourage us as their hands and feet to realize our potential as justice seekers, peace makers, and community builders. Your Harmony Board of Directors Note: Special thanks to our partners at Beyond the Walls for providing the beautiful music to many of our hymns. You can click the play button below to view/hear the full hymn recorded by the Beyond the Walls Choir. To our members and supporters -
Harmony’s Board of Directors is pleased to share the following update concerning policy update efforts in the United States. We have reached the final step in the year-long revision process (“Final Review & Approval”), and the draft policy updates are now with the First Presidency for final review. We will keep you updated once we receive word of any approvals. The USA Team of Apostles consulted with members and leaders representing diverse locations and roles across the United States. Harmony has been honored to contribute as part of this approach. On behalf of the Harmony Board of Directors, I’d like to extend my gratitude to Apostles Barbara Carter, Janné Grover, Ron Harmon, Robin Linkhart, Lachlan Mackay, Dave Nii, and Art Smith for their support and willingness to engage in this holy work within their respective fields. We look forward to collaborating in an effort to ensure the future of Community of Christ in the United States is a fully affirming one. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@harmony.lgbt. With excitement and anticipation, Parker Johnson (he/him) Harmony President Harmony’s Board of Directors is pleased to share the following update concerning policy revision efforts in the United States and Canada.
As a reminder, in partnership with the USA Team of Apostles and the Apostle to Canada, we are working to review, revise, and formalize the interim national conference policies for the United States and Canada with a tentative completion date of December 31, 2022. Please note the above project milestones graphic as a point of reference. We will share updates as new information becomes available. Harmony is acting as consultant to provide guidance on inclusive language and the Queer/2SLGBTQIA+ experience in Community of Christ. In the following days, Harmony will finalize its feedback to the USA Team of Apostles and Canada’s Apostle (Art Smith), and the draft policy will move into a review phase with various stakeholders. We are honored to contribute as part of this approach. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@harmony.lgbt. |
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