As a pioneering member of the UCC movement of Open and Affirming Churches, First Church welcomes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to our community of faith, and affirms the full inclusion of all God’s people in the life and ministry of the church. Our congregation also strongly supports the civil right of all free and consenting adults to marry, and we gladly offer our sanctuary and our ministers to all who wish to be married here. We usually have a strong delegation of members who carry our First Church rainbow flag at Boston Pride parade. Recently, we have advocated together for Transgender Rights in Massachusetts, hosted learning sessions so we can all understand how to make our community safer and more welcoming for people of every gender.
In May 2024, we began a new tradition and offered a trans- and nonbinary-affirming Blessing of Names liturgy and ritual. We invited members of our community to be re-welcomed into the church using the name that best reflects who they are. Trans and nonbinary folks whose names have not changed were also welcome to participate and receive a blessing of who they are. Throughout the 2023-2024, First Church members participated in a cohort of Southern New England UCC churches working towards becoming trans- and nonbinary-affirrming churches. A Faith & Life Group has also been assembled on this topic. .
In 1991, this statement was adopted by First Church in its decision to become an Open and Affirming congregation:
First Church Statement of Openness and Affirmation