The paraments were in rainbow colors. The choirs were all male. And the message was one of hope and inclusion.
More than 250 people gathered in the Asbury United Methodist Church sanctuary in Prairie Village Thursday for the opening night of “Our Family Gathering,” a sign of solidarity among members of three UMC conferences who are pushing for the church to openly welcome LGBT members.
Thursday’s service featured performances by the Heartland Men’s Chorus and the Kansas City Gay Men’s Chorus and a message from Rev. Jane Florence of the First United Methodist Church in Omaha, Neb.
The event continues this evening with a service featuring a talk from Revs. Joe Cobb and Leigh Anne Taylor, who ended their marriage after Cobb came out as a gay man, but have remained close and formed new family connections with each other even as they started relationships with new partners. The service starts at 7 p.m. Friday.
