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Kairos United Methodist Church

Kansas City, MO

Responding to the "legislation" coming out of General Conference in 1996 concerning Covenant Relationship services, Kairos, a small congregation in Kansas City, MO adopted this statement:

Affirmation and Support Statement for the Holy Union of Gay and Lesbian Couples

We believe that human sexuality, in all of its manifestations, is a natural part of God's creation and that the capacity for loving relationships is a gift of Divine Grace. Therefore, we rejoice when two individuals, having experienced the grace of such love, decide to make a commitment to each other in the presence of God and the Church.

Hence, we affirm and support the partnership of two people committed to loving each other for a lifetime, whatever their sexual orientation.

As an agent of God's grace, the Church is called to invite people to be open to that Grace, to encourage the commitment love evokes, and to participate in the ongoing family relationship that love engenders.

To fulfill this call, the Church is obligated to offer its full blessing and support to two individuals of whatever sexual orientation in their endeavor to grow in their relationship through the spirit of Christ.

We therefore insist on the right and responsibility of United Methodist clergy to preside at services celebrating homosexual unions and of United Methodist congregations to offer their church facilities for such services.

In keeping with our understanding of God's creative grace, we vow prayerfully to pursue changes in the polity of the United Methodist Church regarding Holy Unions for homosexuals.

See also: "The Word of God, The Church, and Jimmy Creech" by the Reverend Russ Hawkins of Kairos UMC.