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Joining AWAB
Membership in the
Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists is available to churches
that desire to enter into association
with others who are working to foster greater inclusion of lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender persons within Baptist bodies. By joining, churches "go on record" as being welcoming and affirming. Individuals
and groups may associate with AWAB by becoming a friend of AWAB. By joining
AWAB a churches can join with AWAB in forming a community of congregations
that Believe Out Loud that LGBT people are fully welcome in the church.
Individuals are welcome to be part of AWAB through our growing social
network or becoming involved in other ways. For LGBT people and their families within
Baptist bodies and those excluded from faith communities because of sexual
orientation or gender identity, places of hospitality are not always
present. AWAB strives to build a growing network of Baptist failth
communities that are places of welcome and affirmation. Our origin is
American Baptist and denominationally, we still are most active within the
ABC. But a growing number of AWAB congregations come out of other Baptist
traditions, including a growing number from the Alliance of Baptists.
Membership Categories
CONGREGATIONS
- The membership of the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists is
composed of Baptist congregations, primarily American Baptist and Alliance
of Baptist churches who offer welcome and affirmation to lesbian, gay and
bisexual and transgender persons and who wish to enter into association with
like-minded congregations for the purpose of networking, education,
advocacy, and support.
ASSOCIATED GROUPS - Welcoming & Affirming
Baptists or American Baptists Concerned affiliated groups exist in a number of
communities where there are no AWAB churches, or to where there is a community
of AWAB congregations. These groups have their own structure and
governance. These groups are associated as group Friends of AWAB.
AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS - Affiliate organizations can become a Friend of AWAB. These
organizations have gone on record as
an inclusive body. For example, ABC/USA or Alliance of Baptists mission agencies,
pastoral counseling centers, seminaries, camps and conference centers,
church outreach programs and small groups within churches, etc.
INDIVIDUAL FRIENDS OF
AWAB
- AWAB welcomes individuals to become a Friend of AWAB.
You don't need to be a member of an AWAB congregation or even a member of an active church member or a Baptist to become a
Friend of AWAB.
Membership
Procedures for Churches
Group and
Organization Friend of AWAB
(link coming soon)
Become a Friend of AWAB
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