North Jackson Churches Makes it Official For LGBT Community

First Federated Church at 10786 Mahoning Avenue in North Jackson, OH has made it official. After airing a welcoming commercial on television showing all are welcome at the congregation, including a gay couple, the Executive Board of the Church voted this past Thursday, August 27th, to officially designate the church a "Welcoming Church," to the LGBT community. This makes a third church that I know of to create such a designation. Our close ally, First Unitarian Church in Youngstown, All Saints Church in Cortland, and now First Federated Church in North Jackson brings to my mind a triangle around the area of affirming places of worship. The triangle is known as the strongest geometrical shape known and often represents body, mind and spirit. It is fitting that this triangle now encompasses a large portion of the Mahoning Valley, and our LGBT community, we can only hope to strengthen and grow this spirit, to encompass all churches to whom our community wishes to worship with.

First Federated Church welcomes a new Pastor, Jeff Davis, who begins his work for his congregation this Tuesday, I would like to welcome him and wish him all the best from the Mahoning Valley Pride Center. I encourage anyone in our community who is looking for a place of worhship, and has not found what feels right to themselves, to give this church, or one of the other welcoming churches in the area.

As a reminder, National Coming Out Day is always October 11th, and for the second year, the MV Pride Center is sponsoring, and being aided with a coalition of most of the LGBT organizations in the Valley, a week-long series of events, promoting the theme this year of, "Celebrating Our Diversity." There will be much more information coming out about these events shortly. There will be a planning meeting of the coalition, tomorrow, Sunday August 30th, at 1pm at the Pride Center.