“The first [commandment] is … ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

 

The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”(Mark 12:29-31)  Accepting this as the supreme commandment of the Gospel, we, The First Congregational Church of Madison, United Church of Christ, open our doors and ministry to all, affirming and honoring the dignity and worth of each person.

 

We believe each of us is a unique creation of God.

We welcome people of any age, race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, marital status, physical, emotional, and mental capacity, and those in traditional and non-traditional families.

We are concerned that Christian unity has often been compromised by fear and prejudice. Let us strive to put our beliefs into action putting aside our prejudices and working to become faithful followers of our lord Jesus Christ, who commanded us to love one another.

In keeping with the recommendation of the Fifteenth General Synod of the United Church of Christ, and that of the annual meeting of the Connecticut Conference, we declare ourselves a welcoming and inclusive spiritual community and therefore, to be an Open and Affirming church.