We welcome people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; and we are committed to work for racial equity.
God desires full life for all. But because of sin, our age-old rebellion, social forces too often silence, control, or devalue God’s beloved children whose sexual or romantic orientation, gender identity, or gender expression challenge patterns of sexism and patriarchy. Yet God empowers us to recognize that all people are created in God’s image and to renounce any power, privilege, or prejudice that undermines community and disrupts joy, gladness, relationships, and abundant life for all people.
ReconcilingWorks advocates for the full welcome, inclusion, equity, and liberation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA+) Lutherans in all aspects of the life of their Church, congregations, and community. ReconcilingWorks sponsors the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) program, in which Bethel has participated since 1989. Bethel was the first Lutheran church in Missouri to make such a statement of welcome.
What We Do
- We allow LGBTQIA+ weddings and blessings in the church.
- We allow transgender renaming ceremonies in the church.
- We are open to calling LGBTQIA+ clergy and having LGBTQIA+ persons in positions of leadership in the congregation.
- We publicize our LGBTQIA+ welcome in our worship bulletins, on our website, on our outdoor sign, and in other ways.
- We have participated in and sponsored booths at both PrideSTL (June) and Tower Grove Pride (September).
- We participate in public demonstrations to support LGBTQIA+ concerns.
- We support the Metro Trans Umbrella Group (MTUG) as a mission partner through donations and in prayer.
- We have three any-gender restrooms. We converted two gendered restrooms to accomplish this.
- We tailor the language in worship to ensure inclusion of non-binary and genderqueer persons.
- We include LGBTQIA+ concerns in worship. We celebrate this especially.
- On Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Sunday, the last Sunday in January.
- During the month of June
- On the weekend of Tower Grove Pride, generally the last Sunday in September.
- We study LGBTQIA+ concerns from time to time in our Adult Forum.
- We observe the Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) [March 31] and the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) [Nov. 20] in worship on Sundays near the those dates.
- We make annual financial contributions to support the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) program.
Reconciling Works
Mission, vision, and values of ReconcilingWorks (founded 1974):
Mission: ReconcilingWorks advocates for the acceptance, full participation, and liberation of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions within the Lutheran Church.
Vision: To keep expanding the welcome, liberating those who are forced to live in the margins. To keep dismantling barriers and building bridges. To keep working until all of God’s beloved have equity.
Values: We believe that God values and embraces each person as a beloved child, that the Spirit gives a diversity of gifts for the common good, and that Jesus Christ calls us to work for justice.
Central States Synod
Welcome statement of our synod—the Central States Synod (covering Missouri and Kansas):
Traveling the way of Jesus, who commanded his followers to love one another as Christ has loved, and believing that all persons are created in the image of God, this synod welcomes people of every race, background, age, political affiliation, economic and social status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and mental and physical ability. As a synod we strive to enable all people to participate fully in the life and work of the church in the ministry of Jesus Christ.
History
Bethel is committed to sharing the love of God with all of God’s creation, and to being a place of welcome and safety for all.
In 1989, Bethel Lutheran Church took a stand: we joined the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) program and made an explicit and intentional statement that we welcome persons of all sexual orientations. This decision, by an overwhelming majority vote of the Bethel congregation, followed a year of discussion, Bible study, and education on the subject of sexual orientation. At the time Bethel was the only Lutheran church in Missouri taking this stand.
We subsequently expanded this welcome to include persons of all gender identities (in 2009) and of all gender expressions (in 2021). In 2022 we affirmed our welcome statement by vote in our semi-annual Congregation Meeting. Our LGBTQIA+ welcome statement was adopted unanimously.
Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Logo
The Reconciling in Christ (RIC) logo (below), inspired by the Progressive Pride Flag design, includes the colors blue, pink, and white to represent our transgender siblings, as well as black and brown stripes, to represent the fullness that our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Community brings to the queer community.
