Westminster United Church (Photo courtesy Teagan Rasche)

By Teagan Rasche

'Fully inclusive'

First local church to become an Affirming Ministry

Jun 23, 2021 | 4:53 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – One local church is now officially an Affirming Ministry, the first in the city.

This means it is fully inclusive of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Westminster United Church has spent more than a year working with the United Church of Canada for this achievement. Training included studying, meetings and education about the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

Minister Lynn McKinnon says her church is a safe place for everyone no matter what their experience is.

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Prior to today, the church was always open to the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

“Outside of our doors, who knew that?” McKinnon said. “The whole idea of this is once we’ve gone through all this, at the end of our studies we have to take a congregational vote and you have to have a minimum of 75 per cent of your vote to be positive in order to pass. We had no negative votes.”

Westminster United Church can now display the Affirming Ministry logo, publicly showing they are safe and welcoming for everyone.

McKinnon is thrilled to be the first church in the city to achieve the designation but says it’s hopefully not the last.