Affirming Ministry

Affirm United’s affirming ministry program has been in place since 1992. Affirming ministries
are committed to the inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and,
more broadly, to justice for all regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
gender identity, family configuration, ability or economic circumstance. Today, there are more
than 200 affirming ministries in Canada, 21 in Nova Scotia.

Our affirming journey has been one of discovery, increasing awareness and discernment. The
journey started in late 2015 when Session set up a Committee to gather information about the
affirming ministry program and get things started.

Through 2018 and 2019, the Committee developed and implemented a plan to become an
affirming ministry. Information articles were included with the weekly Bulletin; guest speakers
from churches which were already affirming spoke to the Congregation; personal stories about
raising gay children were told by members of the Congregation; and there was much discussion
over coffee and tea following Sunday Services.

In order to become an affirming ministry, we needed to meet certain requirements. The first
was the development of an inclusive marriage policy. Now, regardless of background, social
situation, sexual orientation or gender identity, all are welcome to be married at St. James.
The second requirement was the development of an Affirming Vision Statement which speaks
to our vision of a safe place for all. At our Food Bank doors we see a diverse clientele ranging in
age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability and economic circumstance. I think it’s fair to say
that it is sometimes a challenge to make sure all the clients find our Food Bank a safe and
welcoming place, but we make every effort to do so. And we continue to learn.

The third requirement was the development of an Action Plan that lays out specific things that
we would do as we moved forward. Things like flying the rainbow flag as a visible symbol of our
support for the LGBTQ+2S community. That Action Plan is a living document and will be
updated this year.

The final step was to hold a Congregational vote to become an affirming congregation. The
Affirm United program requires the support of at least 75% of the Congregation. At our vote
held in June 2019, we voted 100% in favour. Our Celebration Service was held in October 2019.
The Rev. Darryl MacDonald, spoke to us that day as our special guest and presented us with our
Affirming Ministry plaque.

One of the activities introduced to us by Affirm United is the PIE Day celebration as a way to
demonstrate public, intentional and explicit support for the LGBTQ+2S community. Our first PIE Day was held on March 17, 2019. Our second PIE Day was held on March 15, 2020. The
following day, virtually everything shut down due to Covid-19 and we began to adjust to new
ways of doing things. PIE Days were held in 2021 and 2022, but these were essentially virtual
events in terms of congregational participation. Our Food Bank continued to operate during
Covid-19, however, so we were able to distribute pies to our clients in mid-March of each year.
This year, we returned to a more ‘normal’ celebration…pies were distributed to our Food Bank
clients and slices of pie were offered to the Congregation following the Service on March 12.
Our journey is by no means complete.

As we move into being able to connect and interact with our neighbours, we will be revising our Affirming Plan of Action.