We embrace and cherish every person and every kind of family. God’s love and grace are extended abundantly and equally to all. We seek to follow the example of Jesus Christ by welcoming everyone in our worship, our fellowship, and our leadership, including the diversity of gender, sexual identity, physical or mental ability, ethnicity and economic means. ALL are welcome.
In all of our denominations, we have declared that we are and will remain open to all persons, including gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual people. We are Open and Affirming in the United Church of Christ; a Welcoming and Affirming in the American Baptist Church USA; and belong to the Reconciling Ministries Network of the United Methodist Churches.
We are proud to be participating in the Brookline Police Department’s Safe Place Initiative. You can find the new sticker on the Marion Street door. The program enhances public education regarding the reporting of hate crimes.
This program is for ALL hate crimes which include: race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, mental, physical, or sensory disabilities, homelessness, marital status, political ideology, age, or parental status.
This program helps say to victims: “You will be heard, you will be treated with care, dignity and respect from the business you enter to find help in, as well as from the Police Officers who respond to investigate.” All we as a church have to do is: 1. If a victim of any crime (especially a hate crime) enters our premises, call 911 immediately. 2. Allow the victim to remain on our premises until police arrive.
You can find more information here.
On Thursday, August 25, 2022 someone burned and destroyed the Transgender pride flag on our front lawn. We reported this to Brookline Police.
Each Sunday, we affirm on our worship order that:
We at the United Parish in Brookline believe that all people are made in the image of God and embrace and cherish every person and every kind of family. Jesus Christ welcomed everyone; we seek to follow his example in our own life and worship, by extending God’s love and grace abundantly and equally to everyone. We affirm and welcome all people to share in worship, fellowship and leadership with us, to join us in a diversity of race, gender, sexual identity, physical and mental ability, ethnicity and economic means.
The hate and violence shown on our lawn has no place in the kind of world that Jesus imagined and God created. No act of vandalism will deter us from expressing Christ’s love as fully as possible in order to overcome this kind of hatred.
Thank you to everyone who mailed us replacement flags, sent positive messages, or donated to the church. We appreciate your support!
If you’ve noticed any suspicious activity in the neighborhood or have anything else you’d like to report, please feel free to contact Officer Kristin Healy, Brookline Police Department, LGBTQ+ Liaison, at kmhealy@brooklinema.gov.
Statement Affirming Trans People, June 8, 2023
Statement Affirming Trans People, September 1, 2022
Learn more about the our response to vandalism of our Transgender Pride Flag in the media coverage:
Boston25 News, September 5, 2022
NBC Boston Channel 10, September 5, 2022
The Boston Globe, September 5, 2022
Boston.com, September 5, 2022
7News Boston WHDH, September 4, 2022
WCVB Channel 5, September 5, 2022
Masslive.com, September 5, 2022
CBS Boston, September 6, 2022
Brookline Patch, September 6, 2022
The Sagamore, Brookline High School, September 8, 2022
Them.us, September 6, 2022
LGBTQNation.com, September 7, 2022
