churches respond to covid-19

Spencer Noble

Everett, WA

I am a Church Clarity Advocate because I believe that everyone should be able to bring their full selves to their church community. In order to bring their full selves people must feel safe and in order to feel safe churches need to clearly communicate their policies so people know what to expect before walking in the door. <br /><br />As a white cisgender man, the questions I ask myself before visiting churches are along the lines of ‘will I agree with their theology’, ‘will I like the worship’, and ‘will there be cookies after service’. They aren’t the questions women, people with disabilities, and other oppressed and ostracized groups ask themselves. Questions such as ‘will I be safe’, ‘will I be a second-class member’, and ‘will I be loved for who I am not in spite of who I am’. No one should have to ask these questions when trying to join any community let alone a faith community where love is the greatest commandment. But since those questions have to be asked in our current reality, they should be answered prior to putting oneself in a potentially dangerous or damaging environment. <br /><br />This is why I am a Church Clarity Advocate: because it is long past time for us Christians to treat all of God's children with the same love, acceptance, and affirmation.