LGBTQ+ Ministry

The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team provides opportunities for LGBTQ+ people, families, clergy, congregations, and allies to connect, learn, worship, and grow together.

The ministry team supports the diocese through:

• LGBTQ+ pastoral care and community connections
• Congregational welcome and inclusion
• LGBTQ+ education and formation
• Transgender and non-binary inclusion
• Pride worship and community participation
• Support for LGBTQ+ youth, families, and young adults
• Connections with LGBTQ+ organizations and resources in Pennsylvania
• Opportunities for conversation, fellowship, advocacy, and shared ministry
• Empowering allies of LGBTQIA+ people
• Building interfaith partnerships with communities and organizations that share a commitment to LGBTQ+ dignity, inclusion, and justice

The ministry team also works to strengthen connections between Episcopal congregations and LGBTQ+ communities throughout the diocese.

Listening is an important part of LGBTQ+ ministry.

The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team works to create opportunities for LGBTQ+ people, clergy, lay leaders, families, and allies to share their experiences and help shape the work of the Church.

LGBTQ+ Ministry Listening Sessions provide space for honest conversation about the experiences of LGBTQ+ people within the Church and the wider community.

These gatherings allow participants to share concerns, hopes, experiences, and ideas for strengthening LGBTQ+ ministry throughout the Diocese of the Susquehanna.

Listening sessions take place in different regions of the diocese so that people can participate close to home and so that the ministry team can hear from communities across the diocese. The experiences of LGBTQ+ people can differ greatly from one community to another. Listening provides an opportunity to understand those experiences and respond faithfully.

Queer Bible Study offers a space to explore Scripture, faith, and LGBTQ+ life through conversation, study, humor, and community.

The Bible study creates an intentionally welcoming environment where LGBTQ+ people, friends, and allies can explore Scripture together and ask questions about faith, identity, inclusion, and the Church.

The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team uses A Queer Lectionary as a resource for engaging Scripture through queer theological perspectives. A Queer Lectionary offers queer and inclusive reflections on the Sunday and feast-day readings of the Revised Common Lectionary and brings together contributions from clergy and scholars from several Christian traditions.

Queer Bible Study may explore biblical stories, LGBTQ+ theology, the history of biblical interpretation, Episcopal perspectives, and the ways Scripture speaks to contemporary LGBTQ+ lives.

The goal is not simply to study the Bible, but to create a community where people can encounter Scripture together and discover new ways of hearing God's call to love, justice, liberation, and belonging.

Pride offers an opportunity for the Church to celebrate LGBTQ+ people, proclaim the dignity

of every person, and witness publicly to God's inclusive love.

The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team helps local parishes participate in Pride and connect with their local LGBTQ+ communities. Rather than maintaining a presence at every Pride event, the ministry team's role is to assist congregations in discerning how they can participate faithfully and meaningfully in their own communities.

The ministry team can help congregations with:

• Connecting with local Pride organizations
• Developing Pride worship and prayer
• Providing educational and outreach resources
• Preparing information and resource tables
• Connecting congregations with LGBTQ+ community organizations
• Identifying opportunities for partnership and service
• Sharing examples and ideas from other congregations
• Helping congregations develop ongoing relationships with local LGBTQ+ communities

Through this work, the ministry team seeks to help local parishes make a clear and welcoming witness:

You are welcome. You are beloved. You have a place in the Church.

The ministry team encourages congregations to develop relationships with local Pride organizations and LGBTQ+ community groups throughout the year, rather than limiting LGBTQ+ ministry to Pride season.

LGBTQ+ ministry is part of the wider life of the Diocese of the Susquehanna.

The ministry team participates in and supports regional and diocesan gatherings, offering opportunities for education, fellowship, conversation, worship, and community-building.

Regional events help connect LGBTQ+ Episcopalians and allies who may otherwise feel isolated by geography. They also provide opportunities for the LGBTQ+ Ministry Team to introduce resources, listen to local communities, and support congregations throughout the diocese.

The ministry team may participate in:

• Regional and convocation gatherings
• Diocesan educational events
• Worship and Eucharistic celebrations
• Community and fellowship events
• Diocesan formation opportunities
• LGBTQ+ Ministry Listening Sessions
• Pride-related gatherings
• LGBTQ+ educational programs

The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team encourages congregations to incorporate LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion into the ongoing worship and formation of the Church.

Resources may include:

• Prayers and collects
• Liturgical materials
• Bible study resources
• Sermon and preaching resources
• Educational programs
• Book studies
• Formation materials
• Opportunities for theological reflection

The ministry team seeks to help congregations move beyond LGBTQ+ inclusion as an occasional topic and toward a deeper understanding of welcome as part of the Church's ongoing Gospel ministry.

The Church is called not only to celebrate LGBTQ+ lives but also to remember those who have experienced rejection, discrimination, violence, and loss.

The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team supports opportunities for prayer, remembrance, education, and witness, including observances such as Transgender Day of Remembrance.

These occasions provide opportunities for congregations to lament, remember, pray, and renew their commitment to a world where every person can live with dignity, safety, and freedom.

The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team seeks to share stories of welcome, faith, worship, and community from throughout the Diocese of the Susquehanna. Share your stories with the ministry team so it can be shared as an example of this work in action across the diocese.

Stories may include:

• Congregations participating in Pride
• LGBTQ+ worship and Eucharists
• Queer Bible Study gatherings
• LGBTQ+ Ministry Listening Sessions
• Educational programs and book studies
• LGBTQ+ Episcopalians and families sharing their stories
• Congregational welcome and inclusion initiatives
• Regional and diocesan gatherings
• Partnerships with Pennsylvania LGBTQ+ organizations
• Interfaith partnerships
• New ministries and opportunities for connection

LGBTQ+ ministry does not happen in isolation.

Across Pennsylvania, UCC congregations, Quaker meetings, Jewish communities, and other faith communities have developed meaningful ministries of LGBTQ+ welcome, advocacy, and support.

The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team encourages congregations to build relationships with local faith communities and organizations already engaged in this work.

These partnerships can provide opportunities for:

• Shared worship
• Education and formation
• Advocacy
• Pride participation
• Community service
• Fellowship
• Mutual learning
• Supporting LGBTQ+ people and families

The ministry team welcomes opportunities to learn from and partner with communities that share a commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion, justice, and dignity.

A Queer Lectionary — Church Publishing: A Queer Lectionary offers queer and inclusive reflections on the Sunday and feast-day readings of the Revised Common Lectionary. It is a resource for preaching, Bible study, personal reflection, and theological conversation.

The Queer Bible Study of the Diocese of the Susquehanna uses A Queer Lectionary as a resource for exploring Scripture and connecting the biblical witness with LGBTQ+ faith and experience.

“But the Bible Says…” Presentation: A presentation exploring biblical passages that have historically been used to marginalize LGBTQ+ people and offering ways to understand these passages in their historical and theological contexts.

What the Bible Says and Doesn't Say About Homosexuality: A resource examining biblical passages frequently cited in discussions of homosexuality and their historical and theological contexts.

To Set Our Hope on Christ: An Episcopal theological resource concerning the inclusion of people living in same-gender unions within the Church.

Pride is an opportunity for Episcopal congregations to celebrate LGBTQ+ people, proclaim the dignity of every person, and make visible the Church's commitment to God's inclusive love.

The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team seeks to equip and support local congregations as they discern how they can participate in Pride and build meaningful relationships with LGBTQ+ communities in their own regions.

Resources can help congregations move beyond simply displaying a Pride flag and toward meaningful welcome, worship, education, relationship-building, and community engagement.

The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team can provide or develop resources for congregations wishing to incorporate LGBTQ+ themes into worship, including:

• Collects and prayers
• Prayers of the People
• Eucharistic prayers
• Affirmations of faith
• Blessings
• Prayers for LGBTQ+ people and families
• Resources for Pride Sunday
• Resources for Transgender Day of Remembrance
• Other liturgical resources appropriate for use throughout the year

Resources from Dioceses across The Episcopal Church

• Pride Collects
• Prayers of the People for Pride
• Pride Eucharistic Prayer
• Pride Affirmation of Faith
• Pride Rosary
• Pride Eucharist — Diocese of East Tennessee

Congregations may also find resources helpful for community outreach and Pride participation, including:

• Pride information for congregational outreach tables
• LGBTQ+ welcome materials
• “What does The Episcopal Church believe about LGBTQ+ people?” resources
• Congregational welcome and inclusion materials
• Suggestions for connecting with local Pride organizations
• Ideas for building relationships with LGBTQ+ community organizations
• Resources for allies
• Ideas for Pride worship and formation

The ministry team’s goal is to help congregations participate in Pride in ways that are authentic to their local communities and connected to the ongoing ministry of the parish.

Congregations are encouraged to consider how they can participate in their local Pride events.

The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team can help congregations connect with one another, share ideas, identify resources, and learn from experiences across the diocese.

Participation might include:

• Walking in a Pride parade
• Hosting an information table
• Offering prayer or worship
• Supporting local LGBTQ+ organizations
• Providing volunteers
• Sharing information about an affirming Episcopal congregation
• Inviting the local LGBTQ+ community into ongoing parish life

Pronouns 101: An introduction to pronouns and the importance of respectfully acknowledging one another.

Voices of Witness: Out of the Box: A documentary giving voice to transgender people of faith and their stories of hope, healing, and wholeness.

Blessed Are the Binary Breakers: Resources concerning transgender Christian theology and history.

TransEpiscopal: A network of transgender and allied Episcopalians working toward the full inclusion of transgender and non-binary people within The Episcopal Church.

The Episcopal Church LGBTQ+ Ministry: Resources concerning LGBTQ+ ministry, inclusion, gender justice, advocacy, and formation.

Gender Justice Jam: Resources for exploring gender, faith, and the experiences of transgender and non-binary people.

Claiming the Blessing: Historical and theological resources concerning LGBTQ+ inclusion within The Episcopal Church.

The Diocese of the Susquehanna recognizes the important work already being done by LGBTQ+ organizations and community partners throughout Pennsylvania.

Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center: Provides community programs, education, health resources, support, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ people in the Lehigh Valley.

Central PA Pride: Supports LGBTQ+ visibility, community, education, and celebration in Central Pennsylvania.

Transgender Day of Remembrance provides an opportunity for congregations to remember transgender and gender-diverse people who have lost their lives to violence and to recommit themselves to dignity, safety, and justice.

Resources include:

Ten Things Every Ally Should Know About Transgender Day of Remembrance

Transgender Day of Remembrance Interfaith Service — 2019