Church expands welcome

Sparta - A welcoming statement created by Pastor Charles McNeil and Ann Freeman Price was adopted by the New Jersey Annual Church Conference. Now it has attracted a generous donation from an anonymous Sparta family. The welcome was created in the spring of 2005 to “put some teeth” into the United Methodist motto “open hearts, open minds, open doors.” McNeil and Price took it to the conference, which is made up of about 600 churches statewide. After some debate, the conference decided to adopt the welcome. The statement recognizes that some groups of people have traditionally not been welcome in many churches. Today it is the gay community who may not feel churches want them to be part of the community. Those who question and doubt also feel themselves unwelcome. As a progressive Christian church, SUMC strives to educate the congregation and community about the value of all people and the need to truly cultivate open hearts, open minds and open doors, as individuals and as a church community. Within the culture of the church this message is occasionally resisted, but more often gladly received. A few weeks ago, this work of the Sparta United Methodist church was affirmed by a local couple, longtime members of another congregation. The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, wanted to express in a concrete way appreciation for the work that Pastor McNeil and the church are doing. They presented the church with a check for $5,000, accompanied by this letter: Dear Friends, We believe Christ calls the Church, which is His embodiment in the world, to minister to all people who come to Him in faith. Therefore, we feel the church doors should be open to all people, whether they are rich or poor, black or white, weak or strong, male or female, ailing or healthy, and without regard to sexual orientation. We all stand equally in need of God’s grace. For that reason, we applaud the welcoming stance of the Sparta United Methodist Church Council, taken May 25th, 2005, to be truly open in hearts, minds and doors. In token of these feelings and beliefs, we are pleased to contribute the enclosed check of $5,000.00 to the work of your church. May God bless your continuing efforts to welcome and celebrate all people. Sincerely, Members of the Sparta Community