Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC)

What does it mean to be an open and affirming congregation in practice? How is Rock Spring viewed in the community? How do we live into our commitment to marriage equality? What more should we be doing, besides keeping our doors open to all?

Rock Spring Congregational Church invites all people to share fully in our life together, in worship and service, in employment, in lay and professional leadership, and in affirmation of personal life passages, including ceremonies of holy marriage for all couples regardless of gender.

For our Open & Affirming statement, please click here.

If you want to know more about the process by which the community of Rock Spring explored, prayed, debated & voted on the new O & A statement, including sermons related to marriage equality, please click here.

Open & Affirming Standing Committee

The Open & Affirming Standing Committee meets regularly to consider these questions and explore ways in which Rock Spring can demonstrate its commitment to witness to full civil rights for all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The committee is engaging in the following activities:

• Regularly featured column in Rock Spring News on marriage equality and other related issues
• Participation in Capital Pride 2009
• Viewing of films on sexual orientation and gender identity

Activities in Support of the LGBT Community

Celebrating 10 Years of Open and Affirming at Rock Spring

The weekend of June 13, 2010 marked the 10th year since our church voted to become Open and Affirming, and began participating in the Capital Pride events as a demonstration of our support for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.

Northern Virginia Interfaith Pride Service, June 10

This year’s service was held at the Metropolitan Community Church in Fairfax. A good turnout of people from many denominations and faith traditions throughout Northern Virginia attended, including six Rock Springers. The theme was “Believe Out Loud.” Music was provided by a band from Our Lady Queen of Peace. Two personal reflections, including one by our Rev. Janet Parker, centered on the theme of how our faith can help us break the silence and speak up on issues of justice and inclusiveness.

Capital Pride Parade, June 12

Eight UCC churches, numbering about sixty marchers of whom about a third were from Rock Spring, participated in the Capital Pride parade. Our church first marched in 2001, making this our 10th march. Rev. Janet Parker rode in a red Mustang convertible wearing a rainbow stole and held a sign that identified Rock Spring as “A Just Peace, Open & Affirming Church.” The onlookers responded enthusiastically to the banner we carried that read “We Support Marriage Equality.” “You are awesome!” “You guys are the best!” “God bless Rock Spring!” were some of the comments, but the most numerous comment of all was a simple thank-you—“Thank you for what you do,” “Thank you for standing with us.” One of the most moving sights was that of a man standing next to his partner, with tears streaming down his cheeks. The level of appreciation expressed, as in all the preceding years, exceeded anything we could have asked for.

Pride Sunday Service, June 13

The church service on this Sunday was dedicated to the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of our church’s becoming ONA. Wei Huey and Debbie Taub Sullivan spoke about how Rock Spring’s ONA status was instrumental in their becoming church members—with Wei discovering Rock Spring at the Capital Pride Festival exactly a year earlier—and the congregation recited a litany for commitment, written by Charles Spencer. Doreen Mannion, one of Rock Spring’s seminary interns, offered a moving sermon on the important witness of ONA churches within the UCC. A reception followed the service.

Capital Pride Festival, June 13

Rock Springers took turns at a booth at the Capital Pride Festival, together with people at two other UCC booths. People stopped by throughout the day, some seriously seeking information and a few actively looking for a place of worship where they would be welcomed. Some left their names and addresses. The Festival provides a more personal way for people to encounter Rock Spring and serves as a good counterpoint to the witness provided by our church in the Parade.

Rock Spring protests lack of legal protection and Attorney General Cuccinelli’s letter to colleges and universities

Members and friends of Rock Spring joined Rev. Dr. David Ensign, Pastor of the Clarendon Presbyterian Church, by adding their signatures on March 21, 2010 to the letter addressed to Virginia’s attorney general Cuccinelli. Attorney General Cuccinelli sent a letter on March 4 to Virginia’s colleges and universities, informing them that none of their non-discrimination policies that pertain to gays and lesbians would be enforced by his office and that the schools should rescind the portions of policies that refer to gays and lesbians.

On March 28, 2010, church members and friends signed a Statement of Faith prepared by People of Faith in Virginia), urging the Commonwealth of Virginia to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identify, and gender expression. The Statement will be delivered to the Governor, members of the Assembly and other elected officials at a statewide rally to be held at the Bell Tower in Capital Square in Richmond on April 21st at 11 a.m.

Rock Spring marches for equality to the Capitol building

On Sunday, October 11, 2009, 11 Rock Springers joined an estimated crowd of more than 10,000 in the National Equality March. The kick-off was just after noon with a loud cheer and chants of “Equality now!” Starting in downtown Washington, DC, the march’s route took our group past the White House, down Pennsylvania Avenue, and to the Capitol. The National Equality March was a grassroots demonstration calling on President Obama and Congress to enact equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people throughout the United States. Many groups participating were from across the country. Rock Spring’s representation was part of several religious groups participating.

Rock Spring Participation in 2009 Capital Pride

Capital Pride Festival

Rock Spring shared a booth at the festival on June 14 with Hope, Bethel, and Little River UCC. We distributed postcards with the names of all ONA churches in the area, our ONA statement, God-is-still-speaking magnets from UCC, Janet’s award-winning sermon “The Ties that Bind,” and her congressional briefing (available on this website). Together with the march, the booth at the festival was an important outreach for Rock Spring.

Capital Pride Parade

19 Rock Springers and their friends marched for the 9th year in a row in the Capital Pride Parade on June 13. This year for the first time, we had a shiny red Mustang convertible with red and black balloons to enable those who cannot walk the entire distance to join the parade. The crowd clapped—and some danced—with appreciation upon seeing our banner, “We Support Marriage Equality,” and signs proclaiming “God is Still Speaking,” “A Just Peace and Open and Affirming Church,” and “Rock Spring Welcomes You.” Many walked up to the banner to take a photo, a portion from our ONA statement was read aloud through a speaker twice along the parade route, and there were shouts of “Thank you, grandma!” (to Caroline Hufford-Anderson, who was riding the Mustang) and “Marriage equality, yes, that’s right! Love you all!”

Northern Virginia interfaith service, “Claiming the Promise: A Celebration of Marriage Equality”
Several Rock Springers participated in the third annual Northern Virginia Pride Interfaith Service on June 5 at Clarendon Presbyterian Church. Clergy from several denominations and many same-sex couples and their families, friends, and allies filled the sanctuary. The service focused on the dual themes of celebrating the promises couples make to one another, and our conviction that all loving relationships are equal in the sight of God and that legal marriage should be available to all. The Rev. Dr. Janet Parker of Rock Spring was among the ministers who led the service, and several lay persons—including a Rock Spring parent—spoke movingly about their personal experiences with same-sex holy unions and marriage. Finally, every person or couple present had the opportunity to receive a blessing on their partnerships and their families from one of the clergy present.

Rock Springers Witness Against Hate at George Mason University

Seven people from Rock Spring Church journeyed to Fairfax City early on Monday morning, March 30, to participate in a public counter-protest against anti-gay demonstrators near George Mason University. The event was triggered by an announcement that a delegation from Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) in Kansas City planned to protest at a major intersection during morning rush hour against the university’s Pride Alliance and its Pride Week, which kicked off that Monday. The WBC has gained national attention in recent years for its coast-to-coast protests featuring particularly offensive epithets such as “God Hates Fags” and “America is Doomed.”

People of Faith for Equality Virginia invited Northern Virginia congregations to join a counter-protest, and Rock Spring was one of several that responded on short notice. The Rev. Janet Parker and six lay members faced the rush-hour traffic on a sidewalk reserved by police for the counter-protest and held up signs identifying Rock Spring as an Open and Affirming Church and a supporter of marriage equality. Counter-protesters, mainly GMU students, outnumbered the WBC protesters by about 40 to 1. The students clearly appreciated the presence of a supportive religious community standing with them as they faced the hatred of Westboro Baptist Church. The event drew considerable interest from commuters, and ended peacefully about 40 minutes after it began.

The protest and counter-protest were covered in detail by George Mason’s student newspaper, the Broadside. Reporting that students from other local colleges and community churches joined the Mason students to protest, an April 6 Broadside article quoted Howard Hjort, former chair of Rock Spring’s Social Action Board: “ ‘We support marriage equality,’ said Howard Hjort, a member of the Rock Spring United Church of Christ, who came to support the efforts of the Pride Alliance. ‘We are adamantly opposed to discrimination. We think they [the WBC] are clearly on the wrong track.’ “ (Full text of the Broadside article is available at www.broadsideonline.com/index.php.)

National Freedom to Marry Day, February 12, 2009

At noon at clerk’s offices in cities across the country, same-sex couples requested marriage licenses to raise awareness of the impact current restrictive laws have on their families. Six Rock Springers participated at the Arlington County Court House in an interfaith witness for marriage equality, sponsored by People of Faith for Equality Virginia. The group prayed together in front of the Court House, dialogued on marriage equality with the Arlington Clerk of Court, watched while a same-sex couple from Rock Spring applied for a Virginia marriage license, and disbanded peacefully after the license was refused. The Rev. Janet Parker and five lay members of Rock Spring were the largest single contingent at the Arlington witness.

National Day of Action for Marriage Equality

On November 15, 2008, two ONA Committee members represented Rock Spring in a march in D.C. and joined thousands of others across the country to express sadness, anger, and frustration over the passage of California’s Proposition 8, which “amended” the state constitution to specify that only marriages between one man and one woman are legal in the state. Rock Spring carried signs reading “Rock Spring supports marriage equality” and “Rock Spring welcomes you.”

Screening of “For the Bible Tells Me So”

On June 29, 2008, the ONA Committee hosted screening of the new documentary, “For the Bible Tells Me So,” in the Carpenter Hall immediately following worship. About twenty members and friends attended, and most stayed for the informal discussion chaired by Rev. Janet Parker. The film is a powerful new documentary that interweaves the true-life stories of five contemporary American families, some well known, some not, in each of which a beloved son or daughter came out to the parents. The film follows how each family dealt with this unexpected news in its own way, with very different outcomes, ranging from stark tragedy to celebrity career success. Along the way, the viewer is led to think hard, as these families of faith had to do, about the conflicting messages on homosexuality in the Bible. Rock Spring lay members and clergy who have previewed the film judged it appropriate for high schoolers and adults.

Rock Spring Participation in 2008 Capital Pride Events: “History. Vision. Legacy.”

Twelve Rock Spring members and friends, and several from other UCC churches, marched through the streets ofWashington inthe Capital Pride Parade on June 14. Our banners and signs proclaimed that Rock Spring is a “Just Peace, Open and Affirming Congregation,” that “We Support MarriageEquality,” and that “God is Still Speaking.”

Despite persistent rain, large crowds lined the parade route and applauded vigorously when the UCC contingent passed. Shouts of “Amen, God is Alive,” “Go God!”, “Thank you,” and “YES! That’s right! (pointing to marriage equality)” were heard. Several Rock Springers commented that “people’s reactions were powerful” and they made the whole experience worth the effort.

The next day, Rock Springers jointly staffed an information booth at the Capital Pride Festival on Pennsylvania Avenue with three other Northern Virginia UCC churches (Little River, Hope and Bethel). We did a brisk business at times, handing out literature on Open and Affirming and a list of all “ONA” churches in the Potomac Association. We also answered questions about Rock Spring’s stand on marriage equality.

Rock Spring also was represented at two interfaith worship services related to Pride Week. At Foundry United Methodist Church on June 10, an astonishing variety of faith traditions publicly expressed their love and support for the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender people of the Washington metropolitan area. Rev. Janet Parker was one of the worship leaders, and four other Rock Springers were in the congregation.

At Hope UCC in Alexandria, on June 16, a smaller but spirit-filled group gathered from many faith communities to share worship and fellowship with the GLBT community of Northern Virginia. Rock Spring Church was listed in both programs as a sponsor, and both events provided an opportunity to make new friends and renew old ties.

Rev. Janet Parker’s Congressional Briefing

Rev. Dr. Janet Parker participated in a congressional briefing on “Religious Support for Comprehensive Sexuality Education” on March 13, 2008. The event was sponsored by the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing. For the text of Reverend Parker’s testimony, click here
for the Word document. For more information on the event, click here.

Sermons

Winner of the Pride Service Sermon Award, The Ties That Bind, delivered on June 10, 2007.
The award is sponsored by the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing and co-sponsored by HRC, GLAAD, NGLTF, the Black Justice Foundation, and the Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation.

For more information about the work of the Open & Affirming Standing Committee or any of the events above, email socialaction@rockspringucc.org.