Reconciling Ministries Network

09/03/2026

OPPORTUNITY FOR CONNECTION: You're invited to join an 11-week study of The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune — a story about discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place. We'll cover 2-3 chapters a week, starting Monday, Sept. 14, 7:30-8:45 PM via Zoom, led by Whitney Maine, Clarendon UMC Lay Leader.

This is a safe space — the Zoom link is shared once you join the group. Sign up here to get connected: https://clarendon.churchcenter.com/groups/adults/reconciling-ministry-book-group

You don't need to be a member of CUMC to participate. Questions? Reach out to Fran Underwood (she/her) at [email protected].

09/03/2026

An open letter from Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX, to the q***r community of Tucson: "You are not alone." Oak Lawn UMC is holding a vigil in solidarity today, Thursday, Sept. 3 at 7:00 p.m. CT, with a livestream available for those who can't attend in person. Read the full letter and find the livestream link below.

An Open Letter to the Q***r Community of Tucson

Beloved siblings in Tucson,

From Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, we want you to hear this clearly. You are not alone.

We grieve with you. We stand with you. And we hold close every person whose heart is heavy with fear, anger, sorrow, or exhaustion. When violence and hatred seek to make q***r people afraid to gather, celebrate, love, or simply exist openly in the world, our response must be more than words. We must show up for one another.

So from one q***r community to another, from Oak Lawn to Tucson, we are holding you in love.

We are praying for those who have been harmed, for those who are grieving, for those who are frightened, and for every person wondering whether it is still safe to be fully and beautifully themselves. And we recommit ourselves to the work of building a world where LGBTQIA+ people are not merely tolerated, but safe, celebrated, protected, and beloved.

On Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 p.m., we will gather in the Sanctuary of Oak Lawn United Methodist Churchfor a vigil in solidarity with the q***r community of Tucson. Join us in person for lament, meditation, and words of hope as we hold space for grief and remind one another that hatred will never have the final word. Those unable to join us in Dallas can follow along on our livestream at olumc.org/livestream.

Tucson, we see you. We grieve with you. We stand with you. And from the heart of the Oak Lawn neighborhood in Dallas, we send you our love.

You are beloved. You belong. And you do not walk this road alone.

In solidarity and hope,
Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison, Senior Pastor
On behalf of the Pastors and People of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church

https://olumc.org/Tucson/

09/03/2026

Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara lost their lives to hate. We echo Bishop Carlo A. Rapanut's pastoral message and stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ siblings in Tucson as they grieve.

The United Methodist Church has long recognized gun violence as a public health and moral crisis and has called for common-sense measures that protect life, including universal background checks, safe storage requirements, stronger licensing and accountability measures, and restrictions on weapons d...

09/02/2026

Remembering Helen Ryde (they/them), a beloved friend, an advocate for justice, and a bearer of the image of Christ. One year ago today, we lost Helen, and we're holding their memory close — thirteen years of tireless work for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the UMC, and a lifetime of showing us what it looks like to love people well. Read a reflection from our ED, Andi, on Helen's impact on the movement: bit.ly/helenryde

09/01/2026

September is Su***de Prevention Awareness Month. For LGBTQ+ people, this is real life, not a statistic on a page.

The Trevor Project's research is clear: LGBTQ+ young people are not inherently at higher risk because of who they are. They're placed at higher risk by rejection, stigma, and the absence of affirming spaces. The same research shows the opposite is just as true — where affirmation exists, so does life.

That's the work RMN exists to do. Every congregation that chooses to see LGBTQ+ people as sacred, as fully made in the image of God — every leader who says "you belong here" and means it — is doing holy work.

This month, we're here to remind you that our work does not stop until every church is a church for every child of God. If you'd like to explore what that looks like in your context, visit rmnetwork.org or email us at [email protected].

Source: The Trevor Project, 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People

08/31/2026

"All are welcome here."

It's on the sign outside a lot of churches. And it's probably even true in the sense that nobody gets stopped at the door.

But saying it doesn't make it true, and it's not the same thing as a church actually doing the work.

The Book of Discipline's discriminatory language was removed at the 2024 General Conference, and that matters. But removing discriminatory language at the denominational level does not mean LGBTQ+ people are affirmed and celebrated for who they were created to be in every local church. It just means the door isn't locked anymore. It doesn't mean every congregation has decided LGBTQ+ people belong as co-creators of that space, not just guests in it.

That's the difference with a Reconciling congregation. They don't leave it to guesswork. They say clearly, publicly, what they believe about LGBTQ+ people.

Ask your church whether they've done the work, or just the branding.

Learn more at RMNetwork.org

08/26/2026

Someone near here, someone is doing the quiet work of justice — filling out a form, showing up to a meeting, standing beside a neighbor who needs one. This worship resource names that work and blesses it.

Download at RMNetwork.org/featured.

08/21/2026

Welcome, United Methodist Church at Lakewood!

They are the newest congregation to join the Reconciling Movement, and we're honored to add their name to this growing list. This matters because they took the next step to make sure every person knows they're welcomed for exactly who they are.

Thank you, Lakewood, for taking this step in your journey and committing to being a place for all people.

Do you want to help more churches become a church for every child of God? Give today at: rmnetwork.org/donate

08/19/2026

Happy Birthday to our Executive Director, Andi!

You truly are an embarrassment of riches -- to RMN, to this team, and to everyone lucky enough to work alongside you. You lead with grace, wisdom, and clarity of purpose that shapes everything we do. We are endlessly grateful to do this work with you at the helm.

Join us in wishing Andi a birthday as full of joy as she brings to all of us!

08/18/2026

Welcome to the movement, New City Church - Minneapolis!

We're so glad to officially welcome New City Church into the Reconciling Movement! This community is building a place where all people can show up as exactly who they are created to be, beloved as a child of God — and we're grateful to walk alongside them.

Want to help more churches say yes to radical welcome? Give today at rmnetwork.org/donate