We have had lots of requests for Pride Booth support recently...which means we are most definitely headed for Pride Month! Every year in the US and Canada, June is designated as Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall Riots in New York City (June 1969). Learn more here. We are thrilled to share some resources we've designed and compiled to ensure your Pride presence is a success this year. We've put together sticker designs, notecards, swag, business cards, sign-up forms, best practices, recommended books, and more. Take a look at the link below and check back often to see what new resources have been added. Harmony relies on generous donations from folks just like you. Whether you are directly involved with a Pride Booth this year or not, consider making a donation to Harmony to ensure this support can continue long into the future.
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On behalf of the Harmony Board of Directors, I am pleased to share that efforts are currently underway in partnership with the USA Team of Apostles and the Apostle to Canada 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, the board is encouraged that both countries will have updated policies in place protecting the Queer/LGBTQIA2S+ community’s participation in the life of the church within the United States and Canada. Please note the following project milestones as a point of reference. We will share updates as new information becomes available. Led by the USA Team of Apostles and Canada’s Apostle (Art Smith), this process will invite input from individuals throughout these two fields in order to ensure a broad representation of perspectives. Harmony is 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 and Canada is an 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 Join us on Monday, February 28, at 8 p.m. Central for Sacred Pause North America. Our theme is "Grace in the Storm," and we will be gathering via Zoom.
This gathering will be planned by Graceland University students and will include Communion (Lord's Supper). 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. Dear Harmony Member,
Tammie Lay (she/her) tendered her resignation from the Harmony Board of Directors yesterday, December 6, 2021. Our bylaws provide for a clean process by which to honor an individual’s wishes swiftly and efficiently. Article V, Section 13 outlines the automatic acceptance of resignations. Tammie vacates the role of Congregation Support Coordinator. A search will commence in the new year to fill this position. The Board of Directors wishes to extend its gratitude to Tammie for her work in moving the needle on the Welcoming & Affirming Program forward. In service, Parker Johnson (he/him) Harmony President Our services and programs continue to grow as the church deepens its commitment to truly living out its calling to uphold the worth and dignity of all persons. We’ve engaged with a number of new congregations and mission centers in the Welcoming and Affirming Program, and our Sacred Pause gatherings continue to grow and expand in Europe. Will you help turn our dream of a fully affirming church into a reality? 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. We are pleased to provide the results of the Harmony Board of Directors election that took place this weekend. Harmony members just like you from around the world participated in this vote. Your Harmony President for the next two years will be Parker Johnson (he/him) and your Harmony Secretary for the next two years will be Dylan Weaver (he/him). The full Harmony Board of Directors under the newly revised bylaws is as follows:
Thank you to all those who participated in this weekend's vote! 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:
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. Dear Harmony member,
On behalf of the Harmony Board of Directors, I am pleased to inform you that the proposed bylaw revisions were passed by a vote of 69 in favor and 2 against with a total of 71 respondents. This satisfies our bylaw requirements concerning bylaw revisions. I have included a clean copy of the newly approved bylaws for your review below, and the Board will be providing an update concerning our path forward with elections in the coming weeks. Stay tuned! With gratitude, Parker Johnson (he/him) Harmony President Last month, Harmony partnered with Beyond the Walls for the second year in a row to plan a fully affirming worship experience for Queer/LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and allies. Hundreds of individuals joined this online gathering from around the world, taking part in meaningful sharing, singing, and the Sacrament of Communion. While many have felt the comfort and support of their friends, loved ones, and congregations, this is unfortunately not the reality for many - if not most - of our Queer siblings. In fact, according to the Transgender Law Center, there have been 139 reported anti-trans murders in the U.S. since 2017. The U.S. ranks third in the world for trans homicides, after Brazil and Mexico. In addition, 2020-2021 has been a particularly terrible year for proposed anti-trans legislation in the U.S. With this in mind, Harmony’s Board of Directors decided to collect donations during the June 27 Beyond the Walls service for the benefit of the Transgender Law Center, the largest trans-specific, trans-led organization in the U.S. The Transgender Law Center advocates for trans rights, health, and dignity through precident-setting litigation efforts. Thanks to your generosity, $1,279 USD was raised during this service. Harmony has decided to match the first $1,000 USD for a grand total of $2,279 USD. Funds were sent Tuesday, July 6, 2021, to the Transgender Law Center along with a letter from Harmony Treasurer Michele McGrath (she/her) and President Parker Johnson (he/him) thanking them for all they are doing to support our beloved trans siblings. This would not have been possible without your support. Thank you to each of you who made a contribution! With gratitude and appreciation, Your Harmony Board of Directors See official notice below. (Clicking the image will open a downloadable PDF.)
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