United Church Apology to 2S&LGBTQIA+

 There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; 

there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3: 28 NRSVue

Living Christ, We listen to the very beat of our hearts, an echo of your compassion for those who live on the margins: Because of who they love, how they love; how they express themselves; how they do it or don’t do it; how their bodies are or aren’t;  how they have been transformed by the courage of authenticity; 

May our hearts beat together with theirs. Like you, we too are divinely designed. May we live our human years on this earth in your Way, as we walk together in your path of love and justice, with God and with each other, where all are invited and welcomed, valued and celebrated!...

A Portion of a Prayer from the Apology Service

 Yesterday, as part of the triennial, cross-country meeting of the United Church General Council there was an official apology which has been a long time coming.  According to the news release: 

On Friday, August 8, The United Church of Canada will offer a somber and historic apology to 2S and LGBTQIA+ communities. This service acknowledges the deep and lasting harm caused by the church, both in the past and still today. It's a difficult but necessary step towards healing and reaffirming our commitment to radical inclusion.

The United Church was one of the first Christian denominations in Canada to move toward acknowledgement and acceptance of gay and lesbian persons, the terms used in the 1980s, and it was a tumultuous time. I can attest to this as a minister ordained in 1980. As I did my own soul-searching I dealt with the confusion, anger and departure of members of different congregations. I served a congregation in Halifax where the ministry staff of three all left the United Church and took a large number of members with them to start a new church. I have worked with several LGBTQ2S+ staff members and candidates for ministry, some of whom waited for decades after the decisions toward inclusion to be open about their sexual orientation because they realized there would be repercussions. The came to this conclusion because of more formal discussions by their congregations and the opinions expressed from day to day. 

The United Church is still Canada's largest Protestant denomination despite our steady shrinkage so that may be part of why we are so good at saying sorry. We've done it often, for various reasons, and I do feel this is important. I notice that the announcement leads with 2S, meaning Two Spirited, an Indigenous way of describing LGBTQ2SIA+ persons. I actually wish we could retire the ever-lengthening acronym because it has become daunting for a lot of people and Two-Spirited is powerful. 

Confessing our wrong-doing and sin is an essential aspect of the Christian life. I hope that yesterday was a meaningful experience for all those who attended and that the apology will make a difference in our UCC communities of faith, and ripple into the wider community. 

https://united-church.ca/sites/default/files/2025-08/apologyservice_bulletin-program_web.pdf