Our Journey Toward Greater Diversity and Inclusion

A Commitment to Doing No Harm

The first of John Wesleys’s General Rules is a commitment to Do No Harm. We long to be a place of safety in our community and in our world. This means physical, emotional, and spiritual safety. While we cannot promise that harm will never happen when diverse voices gather in community, we strive to be a place that seeks to value the dignity and worth of all of God’s creation and messages from the pulpit will do likewise.
 

Our Way Forward

In 2018 we gathered together a panel of Forest Hill members to share stories of faith and human sexuality. The panel discussion featured voices of LGB siblings and families in the church as they spoke about the intersection of their identity and faith. 
 

Our Statement of Welcome:

After our night of stories and small group studies regarding human sexuality and LGBTQIA+ persons in the church, our Church Council adopted the following statement:
 
 We believe that God’s love and grace extend to all people. Forest Hill United Methodist Church welcomes people of all ages, races, genders, nations of origin, physical or mental abilities, sexual orientations, and socio-economic statuses.
 

Our Connection to Reconciling Ministries

 
In 2021, The Seekers Sunday School class voted to officially affiliate with Reconciling Ministries Network, an organization that advocates for the full inclusion of LGBTQ persons in the UMC.

For a season, Forest Hill was home to the Cabarrus Reconciling Ministries Network Community. Led by members of Forest Hill, Cabarrus Reconciling Community connected various local United Methodist churches. This group resourced local churches and individuals so that they could be better advocates for inclusion and equipped them work towards creating a welcoming and affirming church. 

A Lighthouse Congregation:

During the time of disaffiliations, our congregation become a Lighthouse Congregation of The Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church in partnership with The United Methodist Collective. In doing so, we not only committed to remaining a part of The United Methodist Church, but also to serving those who have lost their church homes through disaffiliation or closure.

Our commitment was to provide a welcoming place, offering ministry opportunities, helping organize remnant groups in our community, and assisting individuals and groups in discerning their next steps as they find a new church home. 

Anti-Racism

Our denominational Revised Social Principles (2024) states: We condemn racism, ethnocentrism, tribalism, and any ideology or social practice based on false and misleading beliefs or ideologies that one group of human beings is superior to all other groups of human beings.

As a part of the last quadrennia, Forest Hill clergy have participated in conference anti-racism training. In addition, Forest Hill is committed to continuing discussions on how we can affirm the dignity and worth of all persons and work to speak out against racism and other things that divide and harm any of God’s children.

Leadership at Forest Hill:

Forest Hill seeks to empower and equip people for ministry in the church and in the world. John Wesley’s historic questions shape the way we understand people’s gifts and graces for ministry.

Do they know God as pardoning God? Have they the love of God abiding in them? Do they desire nothing but God? Are they holy in all manner of conversation?
Have they gifts, as well as evidence of God’s grace, for the work? Have they a clear, sound understanding; a right judgment in the things of God; a just conception of salvation by faith? Do they speak justly, readily, clearly?
Have they have fruit? Have any been truly convinced of sin and converted to God, and are believers edified by their service?

As long as these marks occur in them, we believe they are called of God to serve. These we receive as sufficient proof that they are moved by the Holy Spirit.

Considering our statement of welcome and within this Wesleyan framework, we seek to lift up those who are called, gifted, and graced for ministry. This means that things such as age, race, gender, nation of origin, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status are not limiting factors to full participation in the church or areas of leadership.