Location: First United Methodist Church, 516 Church St., Evanston

Rainbows, Resistance, and Reconciliation (R3):
A Celebration of Intersectional Pride

A convocation celebrating Reconciling Ministries

Feb. 15-16, First United Methodist Church, 516 Church St., Evanston

  

Feb. 15, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Speaker: Rev. Beth Stroud,  assistant professor of history at Methodist Theological Seminary in Ohio, whose clergy orders were reinstated last year—20 years after a church trial removed her orders. 

Activities: other speakers, lunch, workshops, and a panel to discuss "What's Next for Our Congregations Post-General Conference and the 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections."

Feb. 16: Celebration of First UMC's 11th Anniversary as a Reconciling Congregation 

9:15 a.m.: Dialogue time

10:30 a.m.: Anniversary Worship Service; Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey, preaching.

Event purposes:

• Provide opportunities for healing and hope:  build community   
• Vision faithful movement forward. Strategize about what people and churches need for this work.
• Identify ambassadors for LGBTQIA+ justice and advocacy (as RMN names them) 
• Address issues facing us now like ongoing prejudice and the many hateful laws restricting gender-affirming care.
• Strategize to take action against violence inflicted on members of the community, especially transgender folk  
• Address issues of mental health as relates to homophobic Christian teachings and societal attitudes and seek to reduce high suicide rates) 
• Embrace Queer folk who, because of cultural structural context (color), may still feel a need  to be closeted

Register Here