RECONCILING MINISTRIES
The Welcoming Journey
The First United Methodist Church of Lincoln, Maine has long been a faith community that welcomes and accepts people from all walks of life. Our website and weekly worship bulletins feature this statement of welcome:
We are a people of inclusion, not exclusion.
We believe God's grace is available to all people,
no matter where you're from,
what you look like,
who you love,
or what’s in your past.
That's why our communion table is open to all.
Church Council voted in March 2024 to form a Reconciling Core Team to create and implement a plan to adopt a more formal statement which would specifically welcome and affirm LGBTQ+ individuals into the life and leadership of our local congregation. In addition, this welcoming statement would explore the diversity that exists within the LGBTQ+ community and would address factors such as age, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, level of education, family structure, and so on, as well as our congregation's commitment to the pursuit of justice for all people. Adoption of the welcoming statement would also affiliate us with the Reconciling Ministries Network, an organization committed to achieving LGBTQ+ justice throughout The United Methodist connection in both policy and practice.
The following is our proposed welcoming statement. In an informal survey held on October 13, 100% of the 29 church family members polled were in favor of adopting this statement. An official vote has been scheduled for November. We are required to affirm this statement by a vote of at least 75% to become a Reconciling Congregation.
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We, the people of the First United Methodist Church of Lincoln, Maine, are a people of inclusion.
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We celebrate God’s gift of diversity and value the wholeness made possible in community equally shared and shepherded by all. We welcome and affirm people of every gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, who are also of every age, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, level of education, and family structure, and of every economic, immigration, marital, and social status, and so much more. We acknowledge that we live in a world of profound social, economic, and political inequities. As followers of Jesus, we commit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and pledge to stand in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed.
We believe God’s grace is available to all.
Upcoming Events
The Reconciling Core Team's plan is rooted in relationship building and education. To learn more, please visit our Open & Affirming Library located in the back of the sanctuary and be sure to attend our upcoming educational events. These events are free and open to the community, as well as church members.
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CURRENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Sunday, November 24 at 11:00 A.M.
Voting Results Announcement
Sunday, November 24 at 5:00 P.M.
Church Family Supper
Monthly Theme: Italian
PAST EVENTS
Saturday, April 20 at 6:00 P.M.
Documentary Viewing Party
"1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture" (Available on Amazon Prime)
Thursdays at 6:00 P.M. | May 16 - June 20
Hybrid Book Club
"UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality" by Colby Martin*
Sundays at 10:00 A.M. | August 4, 18, 25 & September 1
Video Lecture Series
"What the Bible Says About Homosexuality" by Rev. Dr. John C. Holbert
Thursday, September 12 at 6:00 P.M.
Guest Speaker
"Not An Oxymoron" with Pastor, Spiritual Coach & Author Colby Martin
Friday, November 8 at 6:00 P.M.
Saturday, November 9 at 2:00 P.M.
Documentary Viewing Party
"For They Know Not What They Do" (Available on Amazon Prime)*
*Also available to borrow from the FUMCL Open & Affirming Library
Recommended Resources
We invite you to visit our Open & Affirming Library located in the back of the church sanctuary. Our Reconciling Core Team has curated an outstanding collection books, films, and other resources on a variety of subjects important to LGBTQ+ affirmation.
Books are available to sign out for two weeks and films for one week. Please see a Core Team member for more information or for suggestions on where to start.
NOVEMBER FEATURED RESOURCE
"Worthy: The Memoir of an Ex-Mormon Lesbian" by Chris Davis
At age thirty-two, Bangor native Chris Davis had everything she was told that she wanted: a husband, two children, and a townhouse in the suburbs. The plan had been laid out for her and compliance was expected. A devout Mormon with a stellar reputation in her community, Davis spent a lifetime listening to rhetoric from church leaders that queer people were sinners and needed to repent of their wickedness. She had sworn faithfulness and obedience to God and the church but was faced with an impossible equation. How could she earn blessings from God and eternal life in heaven when she knew she was gay? She decided the only way out was a 17-year plan to raise her children and then take her own life.
In "Worthy: The Memoir of an Ex-Mormon Lesbian," Davis tells her story of growing up in a Mormon household in Maine. Her nostalgic and sometimes humorous childhood memories of family and friends provide life lessons that influence her during the traumatic experiences she has as a woman and as a closeted queer person in the church. It isn't until one of her children comes out that Davis is forced to choose between religion and family. She chooses love.
Davis shares her brave journey from the depths of despair to hope and possibility. She shines a light on the tragedy of exclusion in our churches, in families, and in society, which takes such a toll on youth who struggle with their identities. Her inspiring account shows that it takes courage and fortitude to change one's beliefs and live an authentic life, but the rewards are immense.
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​You can find "Worthy" and many other great titles in our Open & Affirming Library.
