Church Leadership Resources: A Message of Grace to Pride Month

How would you respond if your company, organization, or city issues a proclamation regarding Pride Month? Aim higher than disagreements to reach common ground. Use the language below to help you frame a statement or respond to one.

“During Pride Month, let’s aim to come together rather than further dividing. Could we not unite to stand against violence perpetrated on LGBTQ people? Could we not unite in justice for any person mistreated regardless of their sexuality or gender? Could we not stand together for our common humanity, each of us created in God’s image, with dignity and value?

Clearly, people disagree over LGBTQ beliefs. It’s not our role to resolve those differences, nor would we try to do so. Instead, we advocate for justice for all people, those who joyfully celebrate Pride Month and those who oppose it. Our heart is to provide space for everyone, including every employee, member, and citizen. All people in the LGBTQ community and those who oppose them should all have the right to vote, be employed, be promoted, serve our community, and speak up in a public meeting. Our role is not to judge beliefs but to ensure justice for our lives. We welcome a wide diversity of people to serve, work and play together. We hope we can do this in peace, standing up for the other person’s rights even when we disagree with the other’s politics.

We desire to follow the teachings of Jesus, who offended some people because he welcomed others. We want to follow Jesus and be a friend to all people. This includes those who some people today find offensive or label as sinners, whether for their sexuality or their judgmentalism.

Jesus calls us to love our enemies. While we do not regard anyone as our enemy, we strive to care for and serve every employee, member, or citizen whether they agree with a particular policy or oppose it. We hope we can all follow Jesus’ example to love each other despite our differences. It’s not uniformity but unity that makes a great organization. We don’t all have to agree. That would be boring. But we do need to all unite for the good of the entire organization, ensure everyone’s rights are respected and carry out our mission.

Let’s rise above our differences for the good of us all.”

Whether you are a pastor or a Christian leader of an organization or business, let me know if I can support you by providing practical wisdom on how to lead well around this contentious topic. To enquire about consulting and schedule a free 30-minute discovery call, click below.