When the Revs. Anne Marsh and Wade Wheelock began their Canton ministry in 1992, they hoped the church would eventually become an official Welcoming Congregation, celebrating the presence and participation of people of all sexual orientations.
When a church member dropped a note in the sermon question box asking if there was any interest in doing a Welcoming Congregation program, they had the UUA guide and curriculum ready and scheduled an after-church discussion meeting.
The result was the establishment of two ongoing study groups with a total of more than 40 participants. The process took nearly three years and included sponsorship of church services and special programs, and organizing a St. Lawrence County chapter of PFLAG.
In early May 1998, the congregation voted to seek official Welcoming Congregation status from the UUA. There were only three or four no votes. Anne and Wade recall it as “a great process that made the vote taken really mean something.”
Upon receiving official recognition, Anne said, “Becoming recognized as a Welcoming Congregation sends an important signal–to members of our church, to our larger community, and to the wider world–that here is a place where gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people will find open acceptance and affirmation. . . This is a message, not just for gay people, but for all people who endure oppression in our society, and for all who are committed to building a world of greater justice and compassion.”