Jubilee Mennonite Church Statement of Inclusion

Statement

We affirm that all people are made in the image of God and are equally loved by God. We welcome all who would like to join us in following the way of Jesus, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, social or economic status or ability. All may become full members, which involves all the duties and privileges of membership. This includes communion, baptism, and covenant marriage; and support, accountability, participation, and leadership in JMC’s mission and programs.

How We Are a Community Together

We acknowledge our diversity in many matters of life and faith. We aim for consensus as a decision-making process. We bring diverse lenses to our Biblical understandings which reflect the history of the worldwide church’s understandings.

Words of History

We value congregational discernment and to that end we have engaged professional Biblical scholars as teachers, participated in book studies, had individual interviews with almost all members of the congregation, and met together as a congregation to discuss and discern God’s will for this congregation. The result of all this work is a clearer understanding that we at Jubilee are committed to following God’s will as we understand it, and we are committed to each other regardless of our personal conviction on this matter.

We value the relationships we have with the broader church, particularly those within the Mennonite Church and the Mennonite Brethren conference. We intend to be faithful to God and to our understanding of Scripture and to act in good faith in relationship with our dual Mennonite Church and Mennonite Brethren Church affiliations.