FIRST UNITED CHURCH OF TAMPA
extravagantly welcoming  ·  radically inclusive  ·  evangelically courageous
WE DECLINE TO SIGN MARRIAGE LICENSES PROPOSAL APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY BY CONGREGATION

"Proposal to refrain from performing the State Right/Legal Contract aspects of marriage at First United Church of Tampa (UCC) while continuing to perform the Spiritual/Religious Rite of marriage blessings for couples without regard to, or discrimination based upon, the sexual orientation or gender of the participants."

(Approved unanimously at the Annual Congregational Meeting on February 10, 2008)

What does this mean?

There are three main purposes:

1.  To demonstrate our long-held and often-talked-about belief in the separation of church and state through our policies and actions, not just our words.
2.  To live up to our core value of being an Open and Affirming congregation, which we have defined as "welcoming lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Christians into the full life, ministry, and leadership of our church."
3.  To send a clear message to LGBT members, visitors, future members, and to the community at large that even though their country and their state sees them and their relationships as "less than," second class, or nonexistent, we at First United do not.  We treat all members equally and will not freely offer any right or rite to some members that is not freely available to all.

Is the intention of this policy to make a statement against marriage or against "traditional marriage?"  Is this a protest policy?

Through this policy we will be making a statement that we are for marriage and for traditional marriage but we are also for fairness, justice, equality, and inclusion.  We are for traditional marriage being opened to LGBT couples just as "traditional marriage" was opened to mixed-race couples in 1969.  The tradition was not broken, ended, damaged or changed by allowing previously denied couples the opportunity to participate in the tradition.

We are for opening this traditional institution to other loving, committed couples who are presently deprived of the rights, benefits, and responsibilities that contribute to stability and longevity in relationships; something which opposite-sex couples often take for granted.  This policy won't change state or federal law.  We can't and won't break the law but we can change how we as a congregation participate in the legal aspects of marriage and we can refrain from participating in or officiating over a discriminatory law by acting as agents of the state.

Will we be punishing opposite-sex couples for something over which they have no control?

This policy is not about punishing anyone.  We support and promote loving, committed couples of all kinds.  This is about promoting fairness, justice, equality, and inclusion for those in our congregation who are being disadvantaged by a discriminatory law; a law which our church is currently supporting vicariously by acting as an agent of the state.  Though this policy may cause a minor inconvenience and nominal additional costs, to opposite-sex couples it is unfortunately the necessary price to pay for taking a stand for equality and inclusion in our congregation.  Remember, even with this minor inconvenience, opposite-sex couples can fully participate in the spiritual and civil aspects of marriage.  No amount of inconvenience or amount of money allows LGBT couples to fully participate in the civil or legal aspects.

Is there any precedent for such a policy?

Yes, both abroad and here in the United States.  In many European countries civil marriage and religious marriage are completely separate.  There is a true separation of church and state.

In the United States hundreds of congregations have adopted this policy, and these include congregations from various faiths and many Christian denominations.  Dozens of United Church of Christ congregations have adopted it.

First United Church of Tampa, UCC · 7308 E. Fowler Ave. · Tampa, FL 33617 · 813-988-4321