Embracing diversity at Cedar Park United

Cedar Park United Church in Pointe Claire is making it crystal clear that it is open to having gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered persons worship with them.

Cedar Park has declared itself an Affirming Ministry within the United Church of Canada, meaning it is fully inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The church will hold a special worship service on Sunday, the First Sunday in Advent, to celebrate this declaration.

Rev. Sharon Moon said while the church has already been open to all people, regardless of sexual orientation, it was time to make it official. "It's like getting married after living together for many years," she told The Chronicle. "It's about speaking openly about it (homosexuality) in our community.

To that end, Moon said several local politicians have been sent invitations to attend Sunday's ceremony, which is also open to the community at large. "It is also significant for (gay/lesbian) people in our congregation," Moon added. "While they may have felt welcome in our church, they may have still wondered."

Moon said her church can now perform same-sex marriages as opposed to only same-sex unions.

As Cedar Park United had already welcomed gay/lesbians into its fold, Moon said people joined their congregation after leaving another denomination where they were not welcomed.

Before declaring themselves to be Affirming, local congregations study issues of sexual orientation and identity; develop a statement of welcome; and commit themselves to work for justice and inclusion within their congregation, the wider church, and community. The United Church officially endorsed this program in 2000. Cedar Park joins several other ministries on the Island of Montreal that are Affirming Ministries — Union Church in Ste. Anne de Bellevue (since 2002), Rosedale-Queen Mary United Church, Église unie Saint-Jean, and the United Theological College.Canadian activist James Loney, a homosexual man working with the Christian Peacemaking Team who was kidnapped on Nov. 26, 2005 and then held hostage for four months in Iraq, will be a guest preacher on Sunday. His sexual orientation was not publicized in the media until after his rescue due to fears he would be killed by his captors. The public is invited to share Cedar Park United Church’s celebration on Sunday at 10 a.m., 204 Lakeview Ave., Pointe Claire. For more information, check www.cedarparkunited.org. <@cp>Chronicle, Nav Pall<@$p>