Welcoming Congregations of New Haven

Welcoming Congregations of New Haven is an informal ecumenical organization of churches that invite and welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons into their worship and community life.

The greater New Haven area is blessed with Christian, Jewish, and Unitarian congregations that welcome and affirm lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people as equally beloved children of God.

Click here for information on New Haven area congregations where you can be in a faith community and be who you are. Click below for links to congregations with web sites.

A Bit of Welcoming History

In 2000 a small group of people from welcoming congregations in the New Haven area began meeting with an idea - that God's love extends to all people regardless of sexual orientation, race, gender, or any other worldly condition.

Welcoming Congregations of New Haven is part of a national welcoming movement. Most of New Haven's welcoming churches and synagogues are part of national welcoming programs in their denominations or movements.

The welcoming movement was born in 1978 when some Presbyterians responded to their denomination's denial of lesbian/gay ordination by inviting congregations to become "more light" and declare that they welcome the full participation of all persons regardless of sexual orientation. In 1984-85, the Reconciling Congregation Program (United Methodist) and Reconciling Church Program (Lutheran) began their ministries. The Open and Affirming Program (United Church of Christ) was launched in 1987. Other groups followed.

Ecumenical and interfaith linkages began in 1990 when leaders from the Welcoming Church programs began to undertake joint ventures. The Witness our Welcome - (WOW) 2000 conference held in Illinois, and WOW 2003, sponsored by nine Welcoming Programs, resulted. The WOW conferences brought together over 1000 people from the US, Canada, and beyond for worship, study, healing celebration.

You may be interested in the web site www.gaychurch.org . It has one of the largest gay and lesbian welcoming Christian church directories lisitng welcoming churches in the United States and other countries.