River East Church creates Talking Points from the Bible for Full Inclusion of LGBTQ+ Persons, and also about the Confession of Faith and Full Inclusion of LGBTQ+

 

“You don’t care about the Bible." 

That’s the comment members of River East Church in Winnipeg were hearing from their family and friends as they discussed REC’s decision to be welcoming and affirming of LGBTQ+ people. 

“We do care about the Bible,” they would respond, according to pastor Mary Anne Isaak. “We have taken it very seriously throughout our journey to full inclusion.” 

And then, she said, they turned around and asked church leaders for a tool to help in these conversations. They couldn’t always remember the info from the deep dives into Scripture, or quickly recall the adult education sessions on the topic a year or two ago. 

“It’s a pastoral response, a resource for our members, and also for anyone else who wonders how the Bible can lead to an inclusive posture,” Isaak said of the document, called “Talking Points from the Bible for Full Inclusion of LGBTQ+ Persons.” 

The document doesn’t answer every objection some may have, she noted, and it isn’t apologetics—an argument in favour of a position. 

According to the Isaak, it is "intended for use in a conversational setting where there is mutual and respectful listening. It’s intended to help people think about this topic and ask questions." 

The document itself is the result of work by leaders in the congregation, working together with the Leadership Commission. 

“It went through many iterations,” Isaak said. “It is owned by many people in the congregation.” 

While the Leadership Commission voted to approve it, they are also respectful of that fact that not everyone agrees with every point in the document, she explained. 

“And we may want to update it again in the future,” she said, “as we continue to be influenced by our on-going conversations and growing understandings. We don’t need to agree on every point or interpretation. But as a church we do agree that being faithful to Jesus includes an invitation to everyone who wants to join us in the journey of discipleship.” 

The church has decided not to promote the Talking Points document on its website, but it agreed to make it available through this blog. Click here to read it. 

The Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith and Full Inclusion of LGBTQ+ Persons at River East Church 

As with the Bible, River East Church members have heard questions about how it views the Confession of Faith (CoF). Do they take it seriously? 

And just as how they created a document to show they took the Bible seriously, the congregation created a document to show how they examined and explored the COF, and its role, in their journey towards full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people. 

The result is a document that explains how the church feels it is working within the historical way Mennonite Brethren have approached, changed and updated the CoF—how it has been adapted many times since to reflect the changing conditions and mission of the church.

As the document notes, it is often the articles that touch on lifestyle that experience the most pressure to evolve, especially if a case can be made that the move promotes a missional impulse, increase the contemporary relevance of the church, or highlights an individual's spiritual experience.

As with the Talking Points from the Bible document, this document about the CoF went through several iterations before being approved by the congregation, Isaak said. And like that other document, it is also intended as a resource to help members, and others, answer the question of whether they take the CoF seriously. 

The church has not promoted this document on its website. It has agreed to share it with this blog. Click here to read it.

River East has also created an inclusivity statement. Click here to read it.