Central Pacific Conference Of The @UnitedChurch Of Christ Marches in #PDXPride Parade

Members of the Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ joined a large contingent of Christian churches and other faith traditions part of the Coalition of Welcoming Congregations (CWC) today at the Portland Pride Parade.  I was glad to be there as a minister in the UCC, along with many colleagues, and to know that the two new congregations I will begin to pastor on July 1st - Sunnyside Church and University Park Church - are both members of CWC and share in the belief that God's love and justice is for all.  There is still much work to do to break down walls of inequality faced by gays and lesbians across the United States and the globe.  Not only are gays and lesbians denied the right to marry - much as interracial marriages were prohibited a generation ago - but hate crimes continue to occur and discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment and housing are still legal in many communities.  Such discrimination is contrary to the will of God and churches have a moral obligation to fight for equality whenever possible.  Tragically, the Christian faith is often used to justify hatred and discrimination against the gay and lesbian community.  That's theological malpractice that comes from a flawed understanding of Scripture.  We still have a long way to go before the Beloved Community is real and available for all.