I read your church's profile the other day,
on our Church Leadership Connection,
the matching service for
pastors seeking new congregations to serve,
and congregations seeking new pastors.
You told me of the beautiful scenic area
in which your congregation is nestled;
yes, I know it well
It's gorgeous.
You told me about your generous, full-time
compensation package with benefits
and the lovely manse,
great for a pastor with a family.
You told me about your active congregation
And your dedicated lay leaders and ministries
Excited for a pastor to come and join them.
You told me about the great school system
And all the cultural opportunities
And what a lovely community
it really is all around.
"Wow!" I thought,
"I really need to consider this one!"
And then you used the phrase,
"We are a Bible-Believing, Conservative Christian Church,"
and my heart dropped,
along with your profile,
from the top of my list
to the floor
Because in one coded phrase,
you told me:
You would not welcome my LGBTQ+ kids,
Let alone my Neurodivergent kids,
You would not welcome
my multiracial family, either;
And very likely,
You wouldn't want me
as a Clergy Woman, anyway.
And furthermore,
Most of our friends and family
Wouldn't be welcome to visit on a Sunday morning
even though we'd be living in a gorgeous area
perfect for camping and vacations.
And how is it even possible
That such a phrase could be posted
in a profile
in a presbytery
in our denomination
that ordains Women, and People of Color,
and LGBTQ+ people, and strives to work
for equality and justice for all people
and your congregation is in a state
that still prioritizes equality and justice
for all people
at a time that pastors and their families
and so many other families
are fleeing states that
do just the opposite?
No, I understand exactly how carefully
that phrase is chosen
and who that church wants to attract
and who they mean to keep away.
I think briefly of writing back,
"Are you sure you are in the right denomination?"
But likely, it would do no good.
All churches believe in the Bible,
Some just believe
in using it
as a weapon.
And so,
because our family has been through this
with other congregations before,
and won't go through that again,
goodbye profile
goodbye full-time compensation package
goodbye lovely manse
goodbye great school district
goodbye lovely community
goodbye cultural opportunities
goodbye desirable scenic area.
I refuse to sacrifice my family
on your bloody altar of hate.
--
(c) 2024. Rev. Le Anne Clausen de Montes (she/they) is ordained in the PC(USA) and serves on the Leadership Team for the Advocacy Committee for Women and Gender Justice (ACWGJ), and as a liaison to the Racial Ethnic Advocacy Committee (REAC). Le Anne also serves on the Committee for Racial Ethnic Ministries/ Self-Development of People (CREM-SDoP) for the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. Le Anne coordinates the Iowa Faith Leadership Network, the Center for Faith and Peacemaking, and Neurodiversity-Affirming Congregations, and is working to develop the Peace Center of North Iowa. She also pastors a rural UMC congregation part-time, and is a part-time hospital and Hospice chaplain. Locally, Le Anne Co-Chairs the Mason City Ministerial Association, the North Iowa Diversity Appreciation Team, and Mason City LGBTQIA+ Pride, as Coordinator of Community Care. The congregation in question was matched automatically through the denomination's matching system.
