“We are all unshakably good and we belong to one another. No matter what. No exceptions.”
~Father Gregory Boyle
Christian Tradition.
Progressive Faith.
All Are Welcome.
Christian Tradition means that God, Jesus Christ and the Spirit are our foundation. It means we are grounded in the Bible, the sacraments of baptism and communion, and the liturgical church year. It means we sing hymns old and new, accompanied by organ or piano, in an architecturally traditional worship space. It means we are engaged in faith formation throughout our whole lives. It means we honor our Christian heritage without being bound by it.
Progressive Faith means we value a variety of Biblical interpretations and recognize that Biblical texts must be engaged anew by each generation. It means we do not have tests of belief, but rather allow for many theologies. It means we trust that God is still speaking, still transforming, still working through people to create a more just and peaceful world. It means ambiguity and mystery are not our enemies. It means that we put our faith into action – socially, politically, personally, financially, collectively. It means we strive to experience God and live out God’s purposes in our daily lives.
All Are Welcome means we take seriously Jesus’ example of radical inclusion of all people. It means we have an open communion table at which everyone receives the bread and cup, without exception. It means our children and youth are seen, heard and valued in the full life of the church. It means we acknowledge things that may divide us – white privilege and racism, class difference, socio-economic status, physical and mental abilities, gender identity, expression and sexual orientation, political stances – but we strive to overcome those divisions, welcoming all people as created in the image of God and beloved by God.
OPEN AND AFFIRMING
Pictured: Pastor Victoria and State Rep. Athena Hollins on Pride Sunday, June 2022
(Our current Open and Affirming Statement was adopted by the congregation on January 29, 2023. Our original ONA Statement was adopted in 1998.)
We, the congregation of St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ, declare ourselves to be an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ.
We welcome all persons into the life of this church as full partners in ministry: our worship, sacraments, work, and service.
We lament the Christian Church’s long history of discrimination and its many abuses. The Church’s persecution of those who identify as LGBTQ+ often causes isolation, fear, harm, and even death.
We embrace Jesus’ example to proclaim release to the captives, to set at liberty the oppressed (Luke 4:18), and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31).
Relying on God's grace, we strive to be a congregation open to all people. We hold an absolute position of non-discrimination with regard to sexuality, gender identity and expression, race, class, age, mental and physical ability, citizenship, and marital status. We honor the diversity of the human experience as a gift from God, affirming all families and relationships founded on mutual trust, dignity, and love.
We pledge to work for the full inclusion of all people, believing that “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:38-39).
*Note: In this context, LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning, as well as intersex & inquiring, asexual, agender, aromantic, ally, plus other identities such as two-spirit, non-binary, pansexual, demisexual, and many more. We believe God is still speaking, and we anticipate our language will evolve as we grow.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The following Land Acknowledgment Statement was adopted during a special congregational meeting on March 26, 2023:
We, the congregation of St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ in present-day St. Paul, Minnesota, acknowledge that the land on which we gather and worship is the ancestral homeland of the Dakota peoples. We give thanks to Native Americans who have stewarded this land through generations, and we honor their continuing presence and contributions to the region. We acknowledge and repent of the grievous harm done to them in the names of Christianity, white supremacy, the Doctrine of Discovery, and Manifest Destiny.* We acknowledge the lasting wounds of colonialism and patriarchy and confess that we participate in institutions and systems that are corrupt and unjust. As people of faith, we commit to taking action to support and to seek justice for Indigenous communities.
*The Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest Destiny are the names of national and international legal policies used to usurp land and colonize non-Christian people. The policies were based on religious and ethnocentric ideas of European and Christian superiority over other races and religions of the world.
SANCTUARY SUPPORTING CONGREGATION
SAPUCC is a Sanctuary Supporting Congregation. We work co-operatively with several other churches and share needs, tasks, ideas and resources. There are 3 coalitions in the metro area: East St Paul, South Minneapolis, and our coalition in the University Area. We all work under the umbrella of ISAIAH, which is a faith-based organization promoting social justice.
*As defined by ISAIAH, "Sanctuary and Supporting congregations not only provide refuge and a safe haven to families fighting deportation, they also fight for full immigrant justice."
To learn more about our activities as part of the Twin Cities Sanctuary Supporting Network of churches, click here.
Environmental Stewardship
As Christians, we are called to be stewards of God's creation.
We have actively worked to reduce our building's carbon footprint, installing energy efficient windows, a new boiler, improved insulation and LED lighting. We frequently include creation care and eco-justice in our Adult Forum offerings. We teach our children and youth about stewardship of the earth, and give them hands-on experiences such as caring for indoor plants and worm bins! In 2021, we moved to a 3-station model for waste: recycling, trash and composting.
You can read more about our “greening” activities, click here.
Values: In our own words
We have an annual Leadership Retreat. One of the purposes is to deepen our relationships and to reflect on being leaders of the church. At the February 2024 Retreat, newly-elected Moderator Mike Smith asked people to name one thing that they value about St. Anthony Park UCC. Here are some of their answers:
We are devoted to service.
It’s the healthiest church I’ve been a part of.
We have a deep bench of leaders.
We come from a variety of religious backgrounds and are all welcomed.
It’s what a Christian Church should be.
We get to bring whoever we are to this place.
It’s a functional family.
Gays and Jesus can be a rough road; I belong here.
Our communion table is open to anyone and everyone.
The variety of sermons and the different ways we worship – what’s gonna happen today?
The intersection of what happens here on Sunday morning and how we live it out for the rest of the week.
How the church is a reflection of Christ-like love, especially as we love and support the children here.
Praying together – our embodied togetherness.
The many wonderful people you can count on.
It’s OK to expose my “warts” here.
Living out our Christian values.
And finally: "It's where everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came.”
SAFE CHURCH STATEMENT
St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ is committed to ensuring a safe environment for children, youth, and adults in all of the church’s programs and ministries. Doing so is one way for us to embody Jesus’ teaching to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Therefore, St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ declares itself a Safe Church – a faith community where every person is regarded as beloved by God and is free from emotional, spiritual, physical or sexual exploitation, discrimination, harassment and/or abuse.
To that end:
St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ bans verbal, visual or physical conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment;
St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ requires that all staff members, faith formation leaders, and other volunteers who are in regular contact with children and youth submit to a background check;
The Pastor and the Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries (DCYFM) of St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ are mandated reporters of neglect or abuse of children or vulnerable adults; please contact them with questions or concerns; Other adults of the congregation may also be mandated reporters as required by Minnesota law;
The Safe Church Statement is distributed to every participant in New Member cohorts and to Confirmation students prior to their joining the church;
St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ teaches youth about consent, boundaries, self-worth, sexual health, responsibility, and justice & inclusivity through church programs such as OWL (Our Whole Lives);
St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ commits to providing continuing education and conversation around these issues, including in response to happenings in the wider culture.
Action will be taken by church leadership on a case-by-case basis to address violations of the ethic of this Safe Church Statement.
Endorsed by the SAPUCC Council on June 16, 2020.