A More Light Statement of Faith

The members of Family of Christ Presbyterian Church, Greeley, Colorado, voted on April 6, 1997, to be a More Light Church. This means that we have adopted a policy of welcoming all people into the church as full participating members. This seems to us to be a reasonable thing to do, but a decent respect for the opinions of others requires that we should declare the reasons that have led us to take this step.

All those who become members agree that they have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, trust in him and intend to be his disciples, obey his word and show his love, and to be faithful members of this congregation, giving of themselves and seeking the fellowship of the church (*The Worship Book*, p. 49).

The church is called to a new openness to its own membership, by affirming itself as a community of diversity, becoming in fact as well as in faith a community of women and men of all ages, races, and conditions, and by providing for inclusiveness as a visible sign of the new humanity (*The Book of Order* 3.0401-b).

The congregation shall welcome all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God's grace in Jesus Christ and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of his church. No persons shall be denied membership because of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, or any other reason not related to profession of faith. Each member must seek the grace of openness in extending the fellowship of Christ to all persons. Failure to do so constitutes a rejection of Christ himself and causes a scandal to the gospel (*The Book of Order* 5.103).

Jesus instructed us many times that we must love -- our enemies, our neighbors, ourselves. When a lawyer asked him what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus asked him what the law said. He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Jesus told him he was right -- "Do this and you will live" (Luke 10:25ff).

Our neighbors are not only persons who think, look, and act like us. "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? ... If you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others?" "God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous" -- and it is not our job to decide which is which (Matthew 5:43-48).

We believe we are called to offer a similar spirit of generosity in making judgments about issues. We also think we dare not usurp God's prerogative to judge human beings because only God knows our minds and hearts. In this spirit, then, we members of the Family of Christ Presbyterian Church welcome all persons as full participating members, to the glory of God.

 A More Light Church

" seeks to follow the risen Christ, and to make the Church a true community of hospitality." We believe in the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people of faith in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

For additional information, please go to the following website:
http://www.mlp.org/