In the Summer of 2015, The Church at Highland Park’s congregation came to a consensus on the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and related communities) in our church life.

As a congregation striving to follow Jesus Christ by embracing all, we join the growing chorus of churches seeking to be welcoming and purposefully inclusive of everyone because all people bear the image of God. We cherish this divine diversity, which includes differences in race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or political perspective.

This means that all people can get married, be baptized, or fill any leadership roles here at Highland Park. You are not only invited, but encouraged and celebrated as a participant in our church life as you are led by the Holy Spirit and as your gifts allow. We are proud of our history of offering the Lord’s Supper to all, ordaining women, welcoming members of the LGBTQ+ community, and inviting a diverse group of preachers into our pulpit.

We recognize the Church at Large has played a role in the exclusion and rejection of marginalized groups. We recognize we have played a part in systems of power, privilege, and oppression that have traditionally created barriers. We strive to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. Highland Park truly welcomes all persons and commits to structuring congregational life in ways that empower and enhance everyone’s participation. Together, we are part of the body of Christ, and we know that the body is incomplete without all of our LGBTQ+ members.

In the future, we commit ourselves to creating a safe and inclusionary space for anyone who may walk into our doors or sit in our pews, without exclusion. We commit ourselves to loving acts of justice, invitation, hospitality, and reconciliation, providing ministry to and with all persons.

In doing so, we partner with God and one another to emulate Jesus’ ministry and work toward God’s purposes for our world.