Welcoming and Affirming Statement

The following statement has been crafted by members of Napa’s Interfaith Council. While this is not a statement from Interfaith, several of the faith leaders and their communities affirm the statement.

We publicly commit hereby that our faith community is “Welcoming and Affirming.”  We declare that in each of our communities, people of all races, cultures, sexual orientations, genders, gender identities, and gender expressions are seen, accepted, and honored as Divine expressions. We welcome ALL visitors, friends, and neighbors, and offer a community where ALL can belong as integral parts of our communities, including in services, events, membership, leadership, employment, teaching, and/or ordination as clergy.  We acknowledge that in the past and present, faith communities, including our own, have oppressed and condemned many people unjustly, including LGBTQIA+ individuals, women, indigenous peoples, and other minority groups. We believe these judgments and actions were the acts of humans, not of any higher power. We seek to offer a place in which ALL of our visitors, friends, and neighbors can explore faith without judgment, as we explore faith, as equals, side by side with them.  We are grateful to be part of a coalition of inclusive communities, because we have found that diversity increases our empathy and profoundly deepens our faith.