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The Association of Welcoming |
Joining AWAB Membership in the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists is available to churches that desire to enter into association with others who are working to foster greater inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons within Baptist bodies. By joining, churches "go on record" as being welcoming and affirming. Individuals and groups may associate with AWAB by becoming a friend of AWAB. By joining AWAB a churches can join with AWAB in forming a community of congregations that Believe Out Loud that LGBT people are fully welcome in the church. Individuals are welcome to be part of AWAB through our growing social network or becoming involved in other ways. For LGBT people and their families within Baptist bodies and those excluded from faith communities because of sexual orientation or gender identity, places of hospitality are not always present. AWAB strives to build a growing network of Baptist failth communities that are places of welcome and affirmation. Our origin is American Baptist and denominationally, we still are most active within the ABC. But a growing number of AWAB congregations come out of other Baptist traditions, including a growing number from the Alliance of Baptists. Membership Categories CONGREGATIONS - The membership of the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists is composed of Baptist congregations, primarily American Baptist and Alliance of Baptist churches who offer welcome and affirmation to lesbian, gay and bisexual and transgender persons and who wish to enter into association with like-minded congregations for the purpose of networking, education, advocacy, and support. ASSOCIATED GROUPS - Welcoming & Affirming Baptists or American Baptists Concerned affiliated groups exist in a number of communities where there are no AWAB churches, or to where there is a community of AWAB congregations. These groups have their own structure and governance. AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS - Affiliate organization is a friend of AWAB that has gone on record as an inclusive body. For example, ABC/USA or Alliance of Baptists mission agencies, pastoral counseling centers, seminaries, camps and conference centers, church outreach programs and small groups within churches, etc. INDIVIDUAL FRIENDS OF AWAB - AWAB welcomes individuals that are not members of an AWAB congregation. You don't even need to be an active church member or a Baptist to become a Friend of AWAB. Membership Procedures for Churches
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