Saugatuck Congregational’s Message Of Inclusion And Affirmation
The rainbow chairs on the front lawn of the church convey the message of the church proclaiming that all are welcome.
Photos and story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
Saugatuck Congregational Church recently added another visual message to the peace sign which they installed earlier this year (WestportLocalPress: Message of Peace) when they welcomed their new Interim Minister Reverend Kari J. Nicewander. The collection of rainbow Adirondack chairs appears with a banner proclaiming “There’s a seat for everyone at God’s table.”
This message stands in stark contrast to the recent vandalism at Westport’s noted Rainbow Crosswalk at Jesup Green and helps to reinforce Westport’s strongly held creed of being a welcoming community where there is indeed a place for everyone.
Reverend Nicewander told WestportlocalPress, “As a member of the queer community, it means so much to me that Saugatuck Church has been affirming of LGBTQ+ people for so many years. As the Interim Minister at Saugatuck, it means so much to me that we share that message of love, affirmation, and inclusion with the broader community. We believe that God created us as we are - gay, straight, queer, lesbian, bisexual, non-binary, transgender, etc - and that God celebrates us as we are. We are not just accepting of queer community and people, we are queer community, and we rejoice in the diversity of God's creation.”
Photos and story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com