Harmony's Board of Directors has prepared an open letter in order to respond publicly and transparently to a statement distributed by the Community of Christ First Presidency to the World Church Leadership Council (WCLC) on Thursday, December 9, concerning Harmony’s recent petition.

In this letter, we wish to provide important context missing from the First Presidency’s response; however, more than anything else we seek to commit our unwavering support to the cause that is safeguarding Queer members and friends of Community of Christ.

The purpose of providing you with such a letter is to share factual information based on several years of advocacy work on behalf of Queer voices in our denomination. Our goal (as stated in the petition) is to meet with the First Presidency in order to gain clarity surrounding the subject and to offer our support as they carry out the holy work of safeguarding Queer participation in countries where policy changes are in effect.

​The letter can be viewed by clicking the button below.

We are excited to share that generous donors have committed to match the first $1,000 USD received dollar-for-dollar! Double your impact this Giving Tuesday!

WHAT WE DO:

Harmony provides support to individuals, families of Queer persons, congregations, mission centers, and church leaders in order to ensure a more affirming, inclusive, and safe future for Queer persons in Community of Christ.

WE DO THIS BY:

🏳️‍🌈 training and deploying facilitators to journey alongside willing congregations and mission centers as part of our Welcoming and Affirming Program;
📣 ampifying the needs of Queer voices through strategic advocacy efforts;
🙏 establishing regular opportunities for Queer ministry through spiritual companionship programs;
📇 maintaining a database of affirming members of the priesthood who are committed to upholding the worth and dignity of Queer persons in need of spiritual guidance, sacraments, etc.; and
📚 providing resources and educational opportunities to church leaders in order that they might make better, more inclusive decisions.

Our primary advocacy focus at this time is the formalization of each of Community of Christ's Queer/LGBTQIA2S+ policies concerning ordination and marriage in the countries that have held national conferences on the subject. We believe this should be done in close partnership with local representatives from each nation/region as well as Queer persons.

There are currently 42 nations that have recommended policy changes on this matter. All of them remain in interim form, and some have been in this form for eight (8) years.

ABOUT US:

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 We are a membership organization with 227 active members across 10 nations.
💳 In the last two years, we have raised ~$20,000 USD annually in grassroots fundraising campaigns from hundreds of donors around the world.
📅 We have been in operation consistently since the mid-1980s.
📈 Between the 2019 and 2020 fiscal years, we saw a 2500% increase in year-over-year donations and a 440% increase year-over-year in membership numbers. This growth continues on an upward trajectory.
🎓 2/3 of our Board of Directors are Community of Christ (Graceland University) Seminary graduates.

The purpose of the Finance Committee is to ensure that Harmony is operating in a financially sustainable manner in accordance with its mission. Harmony currently has no paid staff, so the Board of Directors is a working board. Likewise, the Finance Committee is a working committee tasked with:

• Exercising oversight over Harmony’s fiscal activities and direction;
• Annual budget development;
• Making suggestions for specific fiscal activities (expenditures and income generation);
• Carefully and frequently monitoring the organization's financials and fiscal activities to make sure resources are being used according to approved budget and Board decisions;
• Developing, reviewing, and recommending good fiscal policy to the Board of Directors;
• and suggesting and implementing financial and accounting best practices.

 
To accomplish this, the Finance Committee meets regularly (currently, one hour per month via Zoom) and may communicate and take on specific actions and responsibilities between meetings. It is expected that Finance Committee members attend at least 75% of meetings and advise the Treasurer in advance when they are unable to attend. We collaborate and archive files via Google Docs.

​If you have a heart for the LGBTQ2+ community within Community of Christ and are interested in serving on the Finance Committee, we are looking for YOU!

Click the button below to read the full position description and application details.

See official notice below. (Clicking the image will open a downloadable PDF.)

This year, Harmony is selling Pride 2021 t-shirts to commemorate not only the Queer/LGBTQIA2S+ Rights Movement but most recently our community's tenacity, courage, and resiliency throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These are tough times, and the marginalized have disproportionately struggled. 

This shirt is for all those who identify as Queer/LGBTQIA2S+ and our allies. The purpose of this campaign is to promote the good work being done by organizations like Harmony and is therefore appropriate for anyone - whether they are associated with Harmony or not.

All proceeds will go toward Harmony's mission to provide advocacy, education, and resources to Queer voices* in Community of Christ with a shared vision of full participation.**

Our vendor for this campaign is Bonfire, a t-shirt printing company based in the United States. Harmony has developed a design that can be printed on a variety of styles such as t-shirts, tank tops, and a hoodie. Please see full details below:

• When you make a purchase, you are able to select the style of shirt. Mix and match - let your personality shine!
• This is a limited time campaign that lasts only 15 days. This campaign ends on Monday, June 14, 2021. Place your orders before this date to ensure you can snag a 2021 Harmony Pride shirt!
  
• ​Shirts are shipped directly to purchasers after the campaign ends and those in North America should receive their purchases by the end of June or early July 2021. For those outside of North America, we will know more about shipping estimates later in June 2021.
• Purchases are not considered donations by the IRS. You will be given an opportunity to make a separate (optional) donation during the checkout process. Such a contribution is considered a donation and will be receipted for IRS purposes. Harmony is a registered non-profit in the United States only; therefore, only US tax receipts can be issued.

Click the button below to get started. We can't wait to see our global Harmony community wearing these shirts and spreading a message of resilience and hope!