✦ Our Commitment
Open & Affirming
Magdalene House is an Open and Affirming congregation, welcoming people of all races, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities, and backgrounds into full participation in our church's life, ministry, and leadership. All people are able to participate and receive the Mysteries (sacraments) without question or exception.
What Open & Affirming Means
As an Open and Affirming community, we explicitly welcome LGBTQ+ individuals and families. We affirm that sexual orientation and gender identity are gifts from God, and that all people — regardless of who they love or how they identify — are created in the image and likeness of Christ. We reject any theology or practice that diminishes the dignity or worth of any human person.
Our commitment to being Open and Affirming extends beyond LGBTQ+ inclusion. We welcome people of all races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds. We welcome people with disabilities and commit to making our worship spaces and ministries accessible to all. We welcome people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, and we work to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent anyone from participating in the life of our community.
We welcome people who have been hurt by the Church, people who are questioning their faith, and people who are encountering Christ for the first time. We believe that the Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints, and that everyone — without exception — has a place at the table of Christ.
Radical Welcome
We practice radical welcome — not tolerance, but genuine celebration of the full humanity and dignity of every person. All are invited to receive the sacraments, to serve in ministry, and to lead our community.
Full Participation
LGBTQ+ individuals and families are welcome in all aspects of our community — as members, as leaders, as catechists, and as candidates for ordination. We affirm same-sex marriage and bless all loving, committed relationships.
Active Advocacy
We do not remain silent in the face of injustice. We actively advocate for the rights and dignity of marginalized communities, and we work to dismantle systems of oppression and discrimination.
An Open Table
✦ All People Are Able to Participate and Receive the Mysteries
Without question or exception, all people — regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, past, or any other characteristic — are fully able to participate in all sacraments and receive the Mysteries of the Church. This is not negotiable. This is not conditional. This is our unwavering commitment.
We practice open communion. The Eucharist is the sacrament of unity and healing, and we believe it belongs to Christ, not to any institution or tradition. All who are baptized and who believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist are invited to receive the Body and Blood of Christ at our altar. Those not yet baptized are invited to receive a blessing.
We offer all sacraments to all people. We baptize children and adults, regardless of family structure or background. We hear confessions from all who seek reconciliation. We anoint the sick and pray for healing. We bless marriages — including same-sex marriages — and celebrate the commitment of all loving couples. We ordain both men and women to the diaconate and priesthood.
Our sacramental life is grounded in the conviction that God's grace flows freely to all people, and that no one can be excluded from the healing and transformative power of Christ's love.
Grounded in Ancient Tradition
Our commitment to radical inclusion is not a departure from the Christian tradition — it is a return to it. The early Church welcomed all people: Jews and Gentiles, men and women, enslaved and free, rich and poor. The Apostle Paul proclaimed that in Christ, there is "neither male nor female, neither slave nor free" — a radical statement of equality and dignity for his time, and a challenge to us today.
The Eastern Christian tradition has always emphasized the theosis — the deification or transformation — of all humanity. We believe that Christ became human so that all humanity might become divine, and that this transformation is available to every person without exception. This ancient vision of universal salvation and healing is the foundation of our Open and Affirming commitment.
We are not creating something new; we are recovering something ancient. We are calling the Church back to its roots in the radical love and inclusive grace of Jesus Christ.
Putting Values Into Practice
Our commitment to Open and Affirming values is not merely theoretical — it shapes everything we do. Here is how we live these values in our community:
Inclusive Leadership
LGBTQ+ individuals serve in all roles within our community — as lectors, cantors, altar servers, catechists, and pastoral leaders. We are actively discerning vocations to the diaconate and priesthood from all qualified candidates, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Affirming Pastoral Care
Our priests and pastoral team are trained in trauma-informed, affirming pastoral care. We listen without judgment, honor the lived experience of LGBTQ+ individuals and families, and provide spiritual direction that affirms rather than condemns. We celebrate same-sex marriages and bless all committed relationships.
Accessible Community Spaces
We are committed to making our worship spaces and community gatherings accessible to people with disabilities. We provide large-print liturgies, audio descriptions, accessible seating, and welcome service animals. We work continuously to remove barriers to participation.
Financial Accessibility
We do not charge for sacraments, and we never turn away someone who cannot afford to contribute financially. Our community operates on a sliding scale for any services or programs, and we actively work to ensure that economic barriers do not prevent anyone from participating in the fullness of our community life.
Advocacy and Solidarity
We do not remain silent in the face of injustice. We advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, immigrant rights, and the dignity of all marginalized people. We participate in community organizing, support social justice initiatives, and use our voice and resources to challenge systems of oppression.
Ongoing Formation and Accountability
We engage in continuous learning about racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and other forms of oppression. We hold ourselves accountable to the communities we serve, and we are committed to growing in our understanding and practice of justice and inclusion.
Supporting Mental Health & Developmental Differences
We are a community that welcomes and supports people with mental health differences, neurodivergence, and developmental disabilities. We believe that all people — regardless of how their minds work or what challenges they face — are beloved children of God, created in His image and worthy of full dignity, acceptance, and belonging.
Many people with anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental health and developmental differences have been made to feel unwelcome or broken by religious communities. We reject this completely. We believe that mental health struggles and neurodivergence are not sins or signs of weak faith — they are part of the human experience, and they do not diminish anyone's worth or their place in our community.
Trauma-Informed Pastoral Care
Our pastoral team is trained in trauma-informed care and understands the unique needs of people with mental health differences. We listen with compassion, honor your experience without judgment, and provide spiritual direction that supports your healing and wholeness — never shaming or condemning.
Flexible Participation
We understand that mental health and neurodevelopmental differences can affect how and when people can participate in community life. You are welcome to attend services when you are able. You may sit, stand, or move as needed. If you need to step out during worship for your wellbeing, that is completely okay. There is no pressure to participate in ways that don't work for you.
Sensory Accessibility
We recognize that sensory experiences in worship — incense, chanting, bells, candlelight — can be overwhelming for some people. We provide a quiet space for those who need a break from sensory stimulation, and we welcome you to use noise-reducing headphones or other accommodations that support your comfort and participation.
Spiritual Direction & Support
Fr. Joseph is available for spiritual direction and pastoral support for those navigating mental health challenges, grief, anxiety, or life transitions. We believe that spiritual care and mental health care work together, and we support you in accessing both professional mental health services and the healing grace of the sacraments.
Community of Belonging
We are a community where people with mental health differences and neurodivergence are not only tolerated but truly welcomed. You belong here exactly as you are. Your struggles do not disqualify you from receiving the sacraments, serving in ministry, or leading our community. Your unique perspective and gifts are valued and needed.
If you have experienced rejection or judgment from religious communities because of your mental health or neurodivergence, we want you to know: that was wrong. You are not broken. Your mind works the way it works, and that is okay. You are welcome here, and we are honored to walk with you on your spiritual journey.
You Are Welcome Here
If you have been hurt by the Church, if you have been told you are not welcome, if you have been made to feel that your identity or your love is sinful — we want you to know that you are welcome here. You belong here. Your presence enriches our community, and your voice matters.
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