Looking for a Church
My girlfriend and I are looking for a church. Well, mostly my girlfriend is looking, but I’m sort of tagging along depending on what she finds.
I stopped going to church all together after I graduated from my Catholic high school ten years ago. Up until recently she was going to St. Joan of Arc. Part of the beef with St. Joan’s is that, while they’re gay-friendly, they make a big deal out of it and sort of go out of their way to point it out. She wants to go somewhere where it’s automatically inclusive, and not a big deal. But at the same time, we don’t want all gay people all the time.
Also, we live in Uptown. The closer the better.
Anybody have any suggestions?
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I know someone who’s been visiting a Quaker Meeting Room (they don’t call them churches) in Mpls and loves how inclusive it is, without being overbearing in any way. There’s gay members, there’s straight members and there’s no cheesy songs. Quakers have been doing gay marriages for hundreds of years and believe in total equality. Learn more here: http://www.quaker.org/minnfm/
I go to Church of the Holy Name, on 3637 11th Ave S, near Powderhorn Park. The priest is gay friendly, preaches about acceptance and love, he can sing better than any other priest I’ve seen, and the music overall is good. The congregation is small, but very friendly and diverse.
Lookup Bethlehem Baptist Church on 11th Street in Downtown Minneapolis.
unitarian churches!
unity on holly ave in st paul (youngish folks) and, where i go:
first unitarian society (oldish folks)
http://www.firstunitariansociety.org/
they rock.
Did the same thing in the middle of 2005, and my wife and I ultimately settled on the Basilica. Lots of mass times, too. The neighborhood churches seem to have only one.
University Baptist in Dinkytown. It’s a small congregation, but there’s a nice mix of people.
I attend Bethlehem Lutheran at 41st and Lyndale in south Minneapolis - very close to Uptown. A traditional Lutheran church that is very open to everyone - they don’t make a big deal out of it, either.
Check First Lutheran in Columbia Heights, on 40th, just east of Central Ave. They quietly accepted members coming out. Those who lacked love and understanding have moved on. No flash or show… just faith matured.
If you want a small ELCA Lutheran church, consider St. Luke Lutheran in Highland Park. It is in St. Paul, but I attend regularly and live in Minneapolis and find it to be no hassle.
St. Luke is an RIC (Reconciling in Christ) congregation, meaning we support and accept full participation of people of any sexual orientation, but it certainly isn’t our emphasis. It’s a place where you can worship and become a part of a community at the same time.
http://www.stluke-church.com/ (website is a bit out of date)
I wish to second Holy Name. Never have I been part of a church community so accepting (and I attended St. Joan of Arc for a number of years) and diverse. Not just in terms of race and sexual orientation, but also in age. There are many children, including my own, as well as senior citizens. Truly welcoming without being ostentatious.
I attend the Basilica, which has a group for homosexual members, and is really diverse without anybody talking about that fact.
Hi Erica,
Since you live in uptown near the winnie the pooh, why don’t you go to either
1. Lyndale UCC 31st inbetween Aldrich and Bryant- very liberal and cool. I’m in the interplay group that the minister leads (silly dance vocalizations kind of like contact improv)
2. My husband and I LOVE going to the Unitarian Universalists on 34th and Dupont. They are more pagan than the Unitarians over on Mount Curve. We are becoming members. I like their inclusiveness and the way they reach from many religious traditions to make up their spiritual experience.
-Kelly Computer
Hi, Erica. I bet you never felt so loved as you are since you posted your question!
My parish is in St. Paul and we are part of the Old Catholic Church. No, not the Latin mass people! Actually, the “Old” part refers to the vibrant early Church. People call us liberal and modern, but our tradition is quite ancient. The Old Catholic Church, both in the U.S. and in Europe, is inclusive: our clergy may be married, they may be in sacramental marriage to a partner of the same gender, and they may be female. We perform same-sex sacramental marriages. However, our inclusiveness is not our identity. It’s just the result of our response to the Gospel and our personal relationship with Jesus.
Old Catholicism dates back to the 1700’s when Dutch Catholics bumped heads with Rome. I think we have the best aspects of the Catholic tradition and spirituality while avoiding the pitfalls of a hierarchical, dogmatic institution.
Give our website a look (www.cornerstoneecc.org) and ask me or our pastor any questions you want. Perhaps we are not what you need, but I am glad you are searching for a community. I hope you find what you need. I will offer up your search at our mass this Sunday. — Will
I’d like to second the Basilica. nice crowd, they cater to a couple different nationalities with specialty masses, the aforementioned GLBT social group, etc. Fr Joe is the best, he’s going to another parish this summer, so soak of the Joe while you can.
Hi there. I reccommend my own parish called Cornerstone Ecumenical Catholic Church. We are part of the Old Catholic Church. The “old” is not antiquated in the sense of archaism, but just a reference that we follow an earlier sense of what the Catholic Church was before it became the Roman Catholic Church. Our sacraments are deemed valid, but illicit by Rome because we are not under the authority of the Pope. Our holy See is in Utrecht (Netherlands), and the Old Catholic church left Rome over the issue of Papal infallibility in Vatican Council I. I urge you to visit our website. We are progressive, but not radically trying to “push” a specific issue per se. I am currently a deacon and soon to be pastor of Cornerstone parish, my ordination to priesthood is this May 27 - and I am currently finishing my Master of Divinity degree at United Theological Seminary.
Although we are inclusive, we have a variety of people, i.e. gay, families, single, women, men, etc. Furthermore, we are a small community (less than 50), but lively and welcoming in the St. Anthony Park area. I urge you to visit our website. I would also welcome speaking with you about your wedding plans. Hope this helps. Shalom, ~Bob Caruso