What does ride. mean?
Reconciling
at the heart of our ministry, we affirm and support the queer community – LGBTQIA+
Inclusion
all voices are heard and valued
Diversity
everyone belongs here and is safe
Equity
we promote fairness & justice in all we do
Mission Statement
ride. Ministries at Auburn First United Methodist Church will:
1) Love boldly and extend Christ’s love to the LGBTQIA+ community and anyone who has been marginalized or oppressed by the church.
2) Be intentional in practicing and celebrating the words in our reconciling statement
3) The Team will accomplish its work by organizing a variety of education, outreach, advocacy, service, and fellowship activities.
Auburn First UMC is an inclusive community that affirms every person is a beloved child of God. All are invited into full participation in the life of our faith community. We welcome and affirm people of every gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, race, national origin, physical or mental abilities, age, marital status and family structure, economic condition, and immigration status.
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.
The Reconciling Ministry team has been hard at work for several years now at AFUMC. The decision to become a Reconciling Church is one that affects the entire congregation, and therefore takes much thinking and preparation beforehand. We began our work in 2014 when a guest speaker came to discuss the discriminatory language in the United Methodist Book of Discipline regarding the LGBTQ+ community. Following this experience, we began a process of education and planning. Finally, on October 30, 2016, we held an All Church Conference and, with 95% acceptance, voted to become a local reconciling church!
