There isn’t a church in the country that doesn’t say, “All are welcome here.” In the United Church of Christ congregation that I serve, I begin every service saying, “Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” I never get tired of saying it. And it is true. If you walk through the door, you will be welcomed. You will be invited to eat at the Lord’s Table and share in the life of the church.
There is, however, a subtext that no one wants to talk about. Yes, you are welcome, but the truth is you may not feel comfortable. Not every church is the right church for every person. If I walked into a conservative, fundamental church, I am sure people would be kind. But chances are good the welcome mat would be snatched up and I would be told to repent of my sinful ways or get out. I would choose the “get out” option and exit before the “amen” hit the benediction.
It is painful to acknowledge there are churches filled with judgement and hate, but there is nothing I can do about it. Except, be in a different kind of church. I choose to be in a church where everyone is welcome AND it includes all kinds of people, particularly marginalized communities like the LGBTQI+. And while everyone is welcome in the churches I am part of, not everyone will feel comfortable. AND THAT IS OKAY.
The conservative, fundamental church and the rainbow flag-flying church are not going to attract the same people. And that is okay.
Part two of “all are welcome here” is that this is who we are, what we stand for and what we believe.” People self-select based on what they stand for and what they believe. As long as there are churches that stand for prejudice, hatred and rejection, there will be a need for churches that are out, loud and proud.
There is a need for churches to have the courage of their convictions. If your church is welcoming to all, regardless of physical ability, skin color, gender identification or sexual orientation, then sing it from the rooftops. For every church claims its identity as a safe place for all people there are a hundred churches that don’t. The world desperately needs the witness of churches that proudly fly the rainbow flag and truly welcome all people. Some will not be drawn to this type of community. That’s okay; let them find a church that works for them. The church that throws wide the welcome door will welcome anyone, but it is not going to change to accommodate a homophobe.
Part of having the courage of your convictions is being willing to live them out loud, proclaim it from the rooftops and be unashamed of being a loving community in Christ. The reason we do this is because we are convicted by our faith to proclaim, “This is what we believe to be true about the church.” When Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, he wasn’t shy about it. When he was called before church authorities he proclaimed, “Here I stand; I can do no other.” And with those words the Protestant Reformation began.
Churches today need courage and commitment to be who they are called to be. Being a radically welcoming community is not a political issue, a partisan issue or a politically correct issue. It is a conviction of the gospel. If it is not then it is nothing. Flying the rainbow flag is a theological statement of utmost importance in our increasingly divided times. If we fail in having the courage of our conviction, we might as well put a for sale sign on the church door. It’s a far cry from Luther’s ninety-five theses.
Some complain that the rainbow flag singles out the LGBTQI+ community at the expense of other communities. I believe there are few communities more marginalized than the LGBTQ+ community. So proclaiming a church to be a safe place by flying the rainbow flag is a good thing.
That said, the rainbow flag is evolving. There are now dissent pins, more inclusive pins and flags. There are over fifty different pride flags available. Surely there is something for everyone.
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That people argue over what pride flag to fly and what each pride flag means misses the point entirely. The message is one of radical welcome in the name of Christ. The meaning is one of unconditional love and safety for all people. Different groups name the stripes different things. People disagree about what flag to fly and what meaning each stripe should have. Leave it to a bunch of church people to take something that is meant to represent unity, and pick it apart until it has lost all meaning. Leave it to a bunch of church people to find something wrong with every symbol because it doesn’t represent their particular hobby horse. PICK A FLAG AND FLY IT WITH FAITH AND PRIDE.
The Irreverent Reverend 
Thank you for this reflection, Pat. I especially appreciate your conviction that “churches… need the courage and commitment to be who they are called to be.” That is absolutely true and, in my experience, challenging to maintain over the long haul. But first it requires a level of clarity in a community’s discernment of their call that often never really takes place at all… or takes place only among a select group of people who assume the role of community discernment without involving the whole community in a meaningful way… or takes place once and then not again as people grow comfortable and complacent.
On another issue you raised, I also agree that people should pick a flag and fly it. My two cents: I personally like the old-fashioned rainbow flag. I’m a believer that if a flag needs a paragraph to interpret it, it’s probably not the one you want. Even the storied North American Vexillological Association agrees that flags should be simple to understand and visually uncomplicated — not that I’m a big fan of appeals to authority. (Although in this case I think they’re right.) I think the “colors of the rainbow” do a pretty good job of intuitively representing the inclusivity the flag intends to suggest. More is not better.
And I’m grateful to have much more to chew on from your post as I pastor my own congregation.
Peace and all good!
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A delight to read! Thank you! l love the picture of the flag as I have never seen it before! And so true, that someone will say the colour should represent a different aspect. So, the final suggestion to pick a flag and fly it for Christ, yes, amen. Thank you for your passion and clear words.
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