We are an Open and Affirming Congregation

Percentages of People Welcome at First Church (Hint: Everyone. We mean it.)
  • People of Color 100%
  • People with Tattoos 100%
  • Lesbians 100%
  • Conservatives 100%
  • Gay Men 100%
  • Youth 100%
  • Bisexual Women and Men 100%
  • Men 100%
  • Children 100%
  • Women 100%
  • Young Adults 100%
  • Singles 100%
  • People who are Transgender 100%
  • People Who Grew Up in Church 100%
  • Seniors 100%
  • Liberals 100%
  • Middle-aged 100%
  • People Who’ve Never Been to Church 100%
  • People with Piercings 100%
  • Addicts and Alcoholics 100%
  • People Having a Bad Day 100%
  • Couples 100%
  • People Who Can’t Sing and People Who Can 100%
  • Everyone 100%

Our Covenant of Welcome

In the UCC, churches have the option of becoming Open and Affirming, abbreviated ONA (pronounced O-en-A—think “Salt-N-Pepa”). First Church chose to go through the ONA process in 1993, when it was a rarity to find ONA churches. (Currently, 30% of UCC churches are ONA, so it’s still not that common!) You can learn more about the Open and Affirming process from the UCC Open and Affirming Coalition.