Pilgrim Group
The Pilgrim Group is a ministry providing support for LGBTQ people, their families, friends, and allies. Individuals (from many churches/denominations) attend meetings of the Group for several reasons:
To be better informed about non-heterosexual and non-cisgender reality;
Their sexual identity or sexual orientation (or that of a close relative or friend) has impacted or been impacted by their religious faith;
Some question religious teachings generally, particularly teachings about sexuality.
Meetings of the Pilgrim Group usually occur monthly. They provide a safe space for participants to tell their stories and to listen to the experiences of others. Anyone who is open to loving dialogue is welcome. Confidentiality is expected.
Latest Updates from the Pilgrim Group
Schedules and Expectations
The Pilgrim Group meets on the evening of the third Thursday of every month, except for July, August and December. As long as Covid restrictions are in place, and as long as members of the Group are uncomfortable with in-person meetings due to Covid, our meetings will be held via Zoom or other virtual platform.
Bethel Mennonite Church is a welcoming and fully-affirming congregation, and as such, meetings of the Pilgrim Group are oriented towards a perspective that is inclusive and embracing of all LGBTQ people. Language used in our meetings is expected to be respectful of all participants – insults, shaming and name-calling will not be allowed. Confidentiality as to who participates and what is shared at meetings is expected of all.
Contact the church office for further information as to meeting times and dates.
To discuss the format of meetings, or whether you might benefit from attending meetings, contact a pastor or the Group leaders – at present, Val and Erwin (Wark) Warkentin. If you would like to “break the ice” before attending a meeting, feel free to contact the Group leaders.
The Story of Bethel’s Journey to Inclusion and Affirmation
This Pilgrim Group of Bethel Mennonite Church has met since 2004, after a lengthy congregational dialogue on the issue of homosexuality. In 2016 Bethel became an officially welcoming and affirming congregation. The Pilgrim Group considers itself a ministry within the church, not a program committee, and as such it does not, in itself, practice advocacy. Its members find themselves encouraged, however, to advocate for full LGBTQ inclusion in the Church at large and do so as their courage is bolstered.
Bethel considers itself a strong supporter of Mennonite Church Manitoba and Mennonite Church Canada (its denominational sources), and as such it substantially affirms the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective, [need a link to the Confession here] the denominational faith statement – but as an affirming congregation, it disagrees with the articulation of marriage in Article 19 of the Confession as being only between a man and a woman. Furthermore, it dissociates itself from any other denominational statements or positions regarding the sinfulness of same-sex intimacy or gender/sex realignment. At Bethel, LGBTQ people are free to participate as full members, including when so indicated, leadership roles, and entitlement to marriage within the church.
The story of Bethel’s journey toward full affirmation and welcome of LGBTQ members may be found here.
The litanies for the Services of Contrition and of Reformation, held on May 17, 2017, may be found here.
Some reflections on the implications of Bethel’s affirming stance may be found here.
The Purpose of the Pilgrim Group
The Pilgrim Group considers itself a ministry, and not a program administered by a committee. As such its primary purpose is to provide a safe environment for its members to share: their experiences of sexual and gender orientation, and how those experiences impact on (or are impacted by) their faith; the experiences of their loved ones – family and friends, and how those stories have impacted their faith; their questions about why such different perspectives and interpretations on matters of sexuality and gender expression can arise from the same Biblical texts; and similar matters. The Group meets most months, but members are encouraged to get together for continuing encouragement and sharing between meetings. Members also share resources for further education, thought and discussion amongst themselves – books, articles, websites, blogs, etc. Curricula for Bible study are used as jumping-off points for faith development.
People who have attended Group meetings have included gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender people; they have included people who have LGBTQ family members or close friends; and they have included people who have wanted to advocate for full inclusion of LGBTQ people in their own churches and congregations (apart from Bethel).
Because the Pilgrim Group is a ministry, it is open to people from Bethel as well as people from other Mennonite churches, and people from other faith traditions, and people who have no faith tradition. What ties us together is the desire to understand more clearly how sexuality and spirituality intertwine.
Although the Pilgrim Group is not an advocacy group, it has provided opportunities for education and congregational discussion at Bethel – by hosting Bible study sessions, and by providing members who tell (parts of) their stories in public sessions at Bethel on Sunday mornings. Individual members of the Group have also participated in advocacy for LGBTQ inclusion at various levels of the Church: at Bethel itself, within Mennonite Church Manitoba, and in the larger denominational context of Mennonite Church Canada. Some Group members from faith traditions other than MC Canada have also engaged with their own denominational bodies and churches towards full inclusion.
