In 2022, after a focussed Affirming Discernment Process, our congregation voted overwhelmingly in favour of our local church becoming "fully affirming." When we say "fully affirming" we mean that people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations are valued and welcomed into full participation in the life, discipleship and leadership of the church including baptism, communion and marriage. This may include roles in leadership, worship, children's ministry, or staff roles based on an individual's qualifications, gifting and spiritual maturity.  

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We have much still to learn but we want all of our 2SLGBTQIA+ siblings in Christ to know-- YOU are welcome and valued. We need you and what you bring to our community!

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Some of our preaching, collaborations, & events...

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- As part of the YYC Affirming Network of Faith Communities, Jess represents The Road on the planning team for the annual Citywide Pride Interfaith Celebration. The 2023 celebration featured voices from across Calgary at Beth Tzedec Synagogue with guest musician & story teller, Emmet Michael.

- 2024 film screening of "1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture"

- 2023 PIE Day service 

- 2022 PIE Day service

- Rich preaching on "Genesis & Gender" 

- Rich preaching on the "Clobber Passages"

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The Road community is committed to seeing, knowing and being God's love everywhere we are. This includes our siblings in the queer community.  We mean it. You, your story, and your embodied identity are valued here.

 

At The Road Church, our hope and encouragement for human relationships, intimate and otherwise, is founded on relationship with a reconciling God. We follow Jesus here. It is Jesus' character and example that shapes our understanding of God's design for healthy, life-giving relationships. Because we firmly believe that the image of God is in each one of us and because we lament the ways that those who identify as gender and sexual minorities have been harmed and excluded by the Church, we have been on an intentional learning journey over the last several years. Through preaching, formal events, leadership decisions, and informal conversations, we are (re)considering our Biblical theology around inclusion as well our own contributions to harm, whether knowingly or unknowingly. We are genuinely seeking to ask ourselves-- how can The Road Church be a safer space?

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After a season of advocacy for wholehearted 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion within our wider denomination (CRCNA), The Road Church community recently voted (fall 2023) to formally disaffiliate from the CRCNA and become an independent religious entity. We lament this division and the ways that the CRCNA has continued to uphold policies that promote harm towards the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Because of God's extravagant love for us, we believe that welcoming and valuing people who identify as queer is a Christlike pathway that leads us toward greater healing and liberation for all of us. 

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For further conversation and clarification, please do not hesitate to contact our pastoral staff.