OnA: September 2007 Archives

    A major insurance company that sought out business from a local United Church of Christ congregation in Michigan has subsequently refused to even provide a quote for coverage when it learned the church's denomination supported same-gender marriage equality and the ordination of gay clergy. - United Church of Christ

    West Adrian UCC was approached by Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company to change their insurance. When West Adrian consented to a quote, the insurance company said that the denominations "support" for gay clergy and same-sex marriage made the church too high a risk, and refused to offer a quote.

    Aside from the fact that the insurance agent approached the church without knowing about the denomination's history, which shows a lack of basic research, there are a number of other problems with the company's assumptions.

     Although General Synod 25, the semi-annual meeting held in 2005, approved a resolution supporting same-sex marriage, that action only encourages individual congregations to consider such support. General Synod resolutions do not control congregations, and only "speak to, not for" the United Church of Christ. Likewise, although individual UCC associations (local bodies that organize a small number, usually some 20-100, congregations) may ordain gay clergy, the individual congregations determine who they will call and are free to choose not to accept gay clergy.

     And the UCC "Open and Affirming" (OnA) status is also a local choice. West Adrian UCC had not voted to be OnA. It is ironic that West Adrian may be precisely the type of church Brotherhood Mutual wanted to insure.

     Of course, businesses are free to decline a contract based on the risk involved. Yet this congregation was judged not on its claims history, not on its property, not on its members, and not on its ideology - but on the perceived risk by being a congregation associated with a denomination in which some have chosen to support gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons.

     In Matthew 5:11, Jesus says, "Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." And so it is with this congregation. May they, and we, see the blessings of being accused of love.