To: The First Presidency, Community of Christ

From: The Welcoming Community Network Committee
Fort Collins Community of Christ
Fort Collins, CO

Date: 6-4-2009

Dear Steve, Dave, and Becky:

We realize the burden of leadership for the church that you carry in regards to the many challenges facing the church today. We have a deep abiding respect and love for you. Our prayers and thoughts are with you as you face them and our continued support will be there always. We are writing this letter to you in order to express our feelings and concerns over the gay and lesbian marriage issue that is facing us all at this time.

We (as a WCN committee becoming a WCN congregation) have been searching our souls for the most appropriate response to your recent letter regarding the priesthood not being allowed to marry same sex couples even in states where it is legal. Therefore, this letter will represent our feelings in regards to this direction.

It is our opinion that now is the time for leadership to have the courage and boldness to make a stand on the injustices that exist within our denomination. We are faced with critical decisions being made in several states that affect how the gay and lesbian community will be treated. Several states and nations now have approved same sex marriage and others are on the verge of doing so. California has been a hotbed of this conflict and has been a tremendous disappointment for a large majority of people. Nevertheless, progress continues there. We believe our church to be a prophetic church as called upon in previous revelations. Now is the time for us to be so more than ever. We would like to state a rationale for why it is now important for us to be courageous prophetic leaders in facing today's challenges.

It appears to us that there are several incongruencies over the past few months that suggest one way and then we act another. To name a few these are:

1. D & C 163: 1 "Community of Christ", your name, given as a divine blessing, is your identity and calling. If you will discern and embrace its full meaning, you will not only discover your future, you will become a blessing to the whole creation. Do not be afraid to go where it beckons you to go."

Are we being afraid to go where it beckons us to go? Are we not to be lifting up the injustices that exist both in our world and within our church? Do we have the courage to do something bold to allow our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to have the same rights as others? Why cannot we be in the forefront of this justice issue since we are called to be a peace church? There are over 5,000 churches in our country who are officially welcoming congregations in their denominations. Our denomination only has 9 of these!

2. D & C 163: 3b "Above all else, strive to be faithful to Christ's vision of the peaceable kingdom of God on earth. Courageously challenge cultural, political, and religious trends that are contrary to the reconciling and restoring purposes of God. Pursue peace."

3. D & C 163: 4a. "God, the Eternal Creator, weeps for the poor, displaced, mistreated and diseased of the world because of their unnecessary suffering…"
4. D & C 163: 7c "It is not pleasing to God when any passage of scripture is used to diminish or oppress races, genders, or classes of human beings. Much physical and emotional violence has been done to some of God's beloved children through the misuse of scripture. The church is called to confess and repent of such attitudes and practices."

Are we not doing this when we use D & C 111 to substantiate a position on marriage being only between a man and a woman? Even though this section is not a revelation it is used to oppress those who are children of God. This 1835 document states that "the church knows no other law of marriage than that which is set forth here". We know now there are other laws about marriage that states and other nations do allow same sex marriages! Also, in Section 1d of this document states that it is not right to prohibit persons from marrying outside the church but if they chose to do so, "such persons will be considered weak in the faith of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". We now know that this also is not the case in our time. Why then are we using this 1835 document to support a base of believing that marriage is only between a man and a woman?

5. D & C 162: 6a "From the earliest days you have been given a sacred principal that declares the inestimable worth of all persons. Do not forget."

6. We Share Identity, Mission and Beliefs-page 10 of "We Share Enduring Principles"-Enduring Principals (#4-Worth of All Persons: God views all people as having inestimable and equal worth; God wants all people to experience wholeness of body, mind, and spirit and relationships; We seek to uphold and restore the worth of all people individually and in community, challenging unjust systems that diminish human worth; We join with Jesus Christ in bringing good news to the poor, sick, captive, and oppressed."

We feel as a WCN committee and hopefully a Welcoming Community Network congregation of the future that we are seeking to uphold and restore the worth of all people individually and in community challenging unjust systems that diminish human worth.

7. In President Veazey's April 5, 2009 address to the church A Defining Moment we find the following: "Community of Christ also stresses that all scripture must be interpreted through the lens of God's most-decisive revelation in Jesus Christ. So, if portions of scripture don't agree with our fullest understanding of the meaning of the revelation of God in Christ, as illuminated by the Holy Spirit and discerned by the faith community, the teachings and vision of Christ take precedence. This principal applies to all of our books of scripture, especially any passage used by some to assign God's disfavor, negative characteristics, or secondary roles to others."

Is this not what is happening when we use D & C 111 to justify marriage as only between a man and a woman?

Also in President Veazey's address it states, "The most important question for a missional church is not about long-term survival. It is about how we passionately pursue Christ's mission in a suffering world that groans for the liberating truths of the gospel. (D & C 155:7)" Also, "What will we do as a church whose mission is grounded in restoring people to wholeness in community? We believe as a WCN Committee that this mission is what matters most!

8. In God is Calling for a Prophetic People, p. 18 by President Veazey in the June Herald it states, "A prophetic community is a "countercultural" community that gives tangible witness to what God is doing to redeem creation." Also, on page 19 it states, "However, over the years God enlarged our vision and understanding of prophetic community to include any setting where the mission of Christ "is embodied in communities of generosity, justice, and peacefulness" (D & C 163:3a). Also in reference to D and C 163:11a, "..seeks to awaken a vision of what Community of Christ can be if it dares to fulfill its calling to be a modern-day prophetic community. The first step is to stop accepting current realities in the world-such as greed, conflict, and poverty-as unavoidable. At the same time, guided by the Spirit, we must envisage alternatives to the status quo and begin to live as if what can be already is." Also, in the conclusion it states, "The primary challenge before us is to break free of the paralyzing grip of the status quo and dare to see new possibilities."

In summary, as you can see all of these quotes are very familiar to you and to us. Nevertheless, they bring out the fact that the decision to not allow our own ministers to conduct the sacrament of marriage for same sex couples where it is legal is incongruent with the above quotes. Not allowing a sacrament to take place seems to us to be intolerable. Another question comes to mind from the incongruencies. In places where there is legalized marriage between same sex couples the International Church records these as legal marriages according to your letter. If so, and since there is a moratorium on ordaining gay or lesbian persons in committed relationships since they are not married, then why don't we allow ordinations to take place with those who are legally married? We trust in the process of discernment wholeheartedly. We also feel that we are actively being a prophetic people by challenging the incongruencies of our church in order that we may have wholeness in community for all persons. It is with great faith and assurance that as God's spirit moves amongst us that courage, boldness of faith and the love of Christ will prevail in all these challenges we face today. We therefore ask that you reconsider the approach you have taken in not allowing our priesthood to officiate in the sacrament of marriage for same sex couples where legal. If this entails rescinding WCR 1182 in some form of legislation then so be it. Thank you for your attention to this letter and we continue to pray for the guiding spirit of Christ in all our relationships.

The Welcoming Community Network Committee
Fort Collins Colorado Community of Christ

Jon and Nancy Mendenhall
Dick and Julie Foster
Dave and Voni Simons
Rick and Kay Bunch
Betty Jones
Tom Beck and Max Coopwood
Kathy Bridwell
Shirley Remmenga
Bob and Sharon Fulton
Steve and Bonnie Thomas
Sharon Troyer

CC. Tim Ashburn, RMMC President
Dave Nii, Assistant to the Apostle
Apostle Dale Luffman