What is Reconciling in Christ?
The Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Program is for congregations, synods, colleges, seminaries, and other Lutheran organizations and ministry communities who have made a public commitment to welcome, include and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people. By having a statement affirming this welcome that specifically names either, “LGBTQIA+ people” or “people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions” in their statement, these faith communities are accepted into the Reconciling in Christ partnership with ReconcilingWorks. To learn more about Reconciling in Christ please visit www.reconcilingworks.org/ric/
How many faith communities have become Reconciling in Christ?
Currently, there are 1055 Reconciling in Christ communities and an additional 303 faith communities on their journey to become Reconciling in Christ in the United States and Canada. 28 ELCA congregations in Michigan, 1 synod in Michigan, 3 campus ministries in Michigan, and the regional ELCA seminary in Columbus, OH are Reconciling in Christ faith communities.
Why did Living Water Ministries seek to become a Reconciling in Christ organization?
Living Water Ministries, in practice, is on the leading edge of inclusivity within the ELCA. Intentional work has been done to create safe spaces for people of color, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. In 2019, 39% of our seasonal staff were people of color, 25% of our campers at Stony Lake were people of color, and 22% of our seasonal staff were members of the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition, the mission of Living Water Ministries calls the organization to serve “all of God’s children” and the core values lift up a “welcome to all.” Being a Reconciling in Christ organization allows the organization to more deeply live into its mission and values, and publicly declare the welcome we are already providing to a constituency historically rejected and/or excluded from Christian faith communities.
As an organization seeking to share the gospel with young people, the statistics and demographics around our youngest and largest generation (known as Generation Z) are also extremely relevant. Generation Z is identified by Barna research group as individuals born between 1999 and 2015 and statistics about this demographic include:
- Generation Z is the largest population present in the United States with 90.5 million members.(a)
- Only 48% of Generation Z identifies as completely heterosexual.(b)
- 37% of Generation Z believes their gender/sexuality is very important to their sense of self.(c)
- 33% of teens say that gender is how a person feels inside.(d)
In light of these generational trends Living Water Ministries believes building our publicly accountable capacity for welcome and inclusion is necessary in order to reach out effectively and share the gospel with all of God’s children.
What changes to the ministry will happen now that LWM is an RIC organization?
In practice, very little. Living Water Ministries already welcomes, hires, accepts, and accommodates campers, staff, volunteers, and adults who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community and will continue to do so. In order to become a Reconciling in Christ faith community, our welcome statement was updated to explicitly name “people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions” as fully included members of the Living Water Ministries community. LWM has added the Reconciling in Christ logo to our website and will also add it to marketing materials and literature that advertise and communicate the work of Living Water Ministries.
In addition, Living Water Ministries will conduct a thorough review of our human resources manual, summer camp procedures manual, and Living Water Ministries policies and procedures to provide consistency of language and inclusion throughout the organization’s documents.
If the current practices of Living Water Ministries were already inclusive for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, why did it bother with becoming a Reconciling in Christ organization?
Churches, as well as many secular institutions, have historically been centered around heterosexual norms, often resulting in the harm of implicit and explicit rejection for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Becoming a Reconciling in Christ organization involves a public declaration that includes a statement of welcome to members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Given the history of marginalization and exclusion, a formal and public means by which this welcome and inclusion is expressed communicates safety and solidarity in a way that is deeply meaningful to marginalized members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
By becoming Reconciling in Christ, members of the LGBTQIA+ community can trust that they are safe, welcome, and received as full members in the community of faith. Just as the American Camp Association logo serves as a means for participants to know that Living Water Ministries meets the highest standards for safety and professionalism available in camping, the Reconciling in Christ logo would signal members of the LGBTQIA+ community that Living Water Ministries is a place of safety and professionalism when it comes to being inclusive.
What about congregations, families and individuals that possess a bound conscience represented by the other three positions found in the ELCA social statement “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust”?
Being called to serve the orphan, widow, and stranger does not infer a rejection of people with parents, people who have not suffered the loss of their spouse, or familiar members of a specific community. Additionally, being intentionally inclusive of people of color does not infer a rejection of people who are white. While becoming a Reconciling in Christ organization creates intentional space and welcome for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, it is not an implicit rejection of people with other bound consciences represented in the ELCA’s social statement on human sexuality. Certainly, there is a wide array of bound conscience represented in the four positions found in “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust”, and these positions can be challenging to reconcile with one another. Becoming a Reconciling in Christ organization is intended to publicly open the arms of welcome for all of God’s children to experience the triune God in an environment that is safe and welcoming for all people as they are.
What has been the process for the Living Water Ministries Board of Directors as they have engaged in discussion and discernment about becoming a Reconciling in Christ organization?
To view a timeline of how the LWM Board of Directors has engaged in discernment about becoming a Reconciling in Christ organization please visit www.elcalivingwater.com/rictimeline/