The Body of Christ is made of many parts, and people experience their understanding of God in many different ways. On this blog, we'll consider the beliefs and activities of congregations, denominations and different religions.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
🌈 E-ssentials: Happy Pride! A Message from the Moderator
Happy Pride: A Message of Apology, Healing, and Radical Belonging
[Image credit: The United Church of Canada]
In 2025, The United Church of Canada offered an apology to 2S and LGBTQIA+ people and communities—naming the real harm caused through words, actions, silence, and systems that failed to protect and affirm God’s beloved people.
The Moderator's Pride Message reflects on that apology—not as an ending, but as a beginning. A threshold into deeper healing, accountability, and transformation. Pride is more than celebration. It is remembrance. It is resistance. It is a witness to the sacred truth that every identity rooted in love and authenticity is a divine gift. Radical belonging is not optional—it is at the heart of the Gospel.
May we continue the work of becoming a church that learns, acts with courage, and lives out love in word and deed. Happy Pride.
This Week! Living Into the 2S and LGBTQIA+ Apology Webinar
[Image credit: The United Church of Canada]
Join us on June 9 from 2:00–3:30 p.m. ET for an online session exploring how communities of faith can live into The United Church of Canada’s 2025 apology to 2S and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Participants will reflect on the apology, hear stories from communities already engaging this work, and explore practical ways to embody the apology in worship, community life, and public witness. The session will also offer space for conversation, reflection, and identifying meaningful next steps in local contexts. Register now on CHURCHx.
Living into Radical Welcome: Rainbow Refugee Sponsorship
[Image credit:The United Church of Canada]
To mark World Refugee Day, The United Church of Canada is hosting Living into Radical Welcome: Rainbow Refugee Sponsorship on June 18 from 2:00–3:30 p.m. ET. This interactive webinar will invite communities of faith, sponsorship groups, and justice-seeking individuals to learn how refugee sponsorship can be an expression of compassion, solidarity, and faithful discipleship.
Participants will hear stories from communities already involved in sponsorship, learn about the refugee sponsorship process and the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program, and explore the unique realities faced by LGBTQIA+ refugees around the world. The webinar will also highlight how sponsorship can deepen a congregation’s commitment to justice, inclusion, and radical welcome. Speakers will be announced soon.
Partners work across Canada and globally to create safe, inclusive, and affirming spaces for 2S and LGBTQIA+ individuals facing discrimination and violence. Rooted in the belief that everyone is unconditionally loved by God, this vital work ranges from local community care and safe spaces to life-saving international advocacy. Ultimately, these efforts help nurture communities of true belonging where all people can live safely, authentically, and with dignity.
New Blog! Something Is Stirring in Maputo—and I Am a Witness
[Image credit: Courtesy of Rev. Dr. Japhet Ndhlovu]
Rev. Dr. Japhet Ndhlovu recently returned to Maputo, Mozambique, where faith leaders, activists, theologians, and allies from across Africa gathered to continue conversations on human sexuality, gender diversity, and inclusion in the church. Building on work that began in 2024, participants shared stories, explored scripture together, and reflected on signs of progress—from changing attitudes and stronger partnerships to growing support for LGBTQIA+ people of faith.
“Progress is being made,” writes Ndhlovu. “Not loudly. In changed tones of sermons. In revised seminary curricula. In a parent who left a dialogue saying, ‘I understand my child for the first time.’”
Read the full blog on hope, courage, and faithful dialogue across borders.
Our exclusive “Love is Louder” Pride t-shirt is a simple way to show your support for the 2S and LGBTQIA+ community while helping spread a message that matters.
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