Our church welcomes all people without regard to age, gender, race – or sexual orientation.

We proclaimed by Congregational Vote in May 2003 that "Our congregation is welcoming to all people including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons." Shortly thereafter, upon demonstrating fulfillment of various specific criteria, we were officially recognized as a Welcoming Congregation by the UUA office of Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender Concerns.

Here is some background on these actions. Aware that many negative attitudes, deep prejudices, and profound ignorance about bisexual, gay, and lesbian people often resulted in the exclusion of bisexual, gay, and lesbian people from our churches, the delegates of the 1989 Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to initiate a Welcoming Congregation program. Each congregation adapts this program to best fit its particular situation.

We began our Welcoming Congregation Program here in Muncie in 1998. After a series of workshops and discussions a Welcoming Congregation Committee was formed in 2002. The congregation then engaged in a series of workshops developed by the UUA. The goal of the workshops was to reduce prejudice by increasing mutual awareness, understanding, and acceptance among people of different sexual orientations. Some of the workshop titles included: How Homophobia Hurts Heterosexuals; Connections to Other Forms of Oppression; Gender Socialization and Homophobia; and Biblical Perspectives on Homosexuality. The church has also invited people to speak during our Sunday morning worship services on gay and lesbian activism and intergender issues.

We continue to look for ways to promote the well-being of bisexual, lesbian, gay and transgender people in our church and in the larger community. Also, we affirm the principle of marriage equality.