Susan and I were ready to search for a church family that would fully welcome our non-traditional family. A place that accepted us for our beliefs and the family God had established. Susan and I are a gay couple with two beautiful and intelligent adopted daughters—Sylvia and Jemma.

We had already experienced a church split over our membership. So, we were extremely cautious and selective about finding the "right" church. We knew that we weren't going to be able to worship fully just anywhere. We had visited a number of churches before we found Pilgrimage and once we found the church, we literally attended off-and-on for 2 years!  Although we were surprised at how accepting everyone was, we needed to make sure it was the culture of the church versus hitting Pilgrimage on a good Sunday. At last, we decided we could worship openly here as the family we are.

We realize that we represent some social issues that many people don’t accept, but Pilgrimage allows us to conduct our lives with the understanding and acceptance that we are human and all of us are children of God.  Pilgrimage is a special place that’s made up of real people with joys, challenges, strong spiritual foundations and love.  We are a good mix of humans who welcome all those who enter to worship fully.

The church that I grew up in was incredibly judgmental and exclusionary. Respecting the dignity and worth of the individual was not a part of their vocabulary. God was more about fear and sin than love and community. 

After Nick and I were married, we wanted to find a church that accepted and celebrated people for who they are and had a much broader view of how we relate to God. We looked at countless churches before we discovered Pilgrimage. The members were friendly and relaxed and we felt drawn there. Then we met Kim. I have never known a pastor who was so compassionate towards others and sharing the message of God’s expansive, open love for all people. We were hooked.

As a parent with a toddler and another child on the way, I am thankful that we can raise our children in a church community that believes it’s okay to be yourself. Here they can explore who they are and what their faith means to them without being forced into a particular mold. They also will see God’s love for all people. These are meaningful gifts and a unique spiritual education.

We’ve been members at Pilgrimage almost eight years. In that time, I have made lifelong friends; taught a session on how you can 'believe' in evolution and God at the same time; been encouraged and supported by the whole church; and baptized my first son there. I have seen firsthand that Pilgrimage is not just posturing when they say, “No matter who you are, no matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” 

Why do I enjoy going to church at Pilgrimage? It started out as, "I go because my parents do." And then it turned into, "I go because my friends go." And all the while I grew as a person and really came to love what Pilgrimage stands for.

I never knew that people were discriminated against at certain churches until I was older. I was proud to say, "I go to Pilgrimage United Church of Christ. It's an open and affirming church, which means we accept all who come here!" I never thought twice about having gays and lesbians at a church function. I also realize they aren’t the only group who are discriminated against. 

The leaders that I have looked up to, have helped me on my spiritual journey. They’ve answered my questions. Given me a chance to spread my wings. And encouraged me to deliver a couple of sermons. Now that's trust! 

I am so lucky. I can turn to my church family in times of need. That's a special bond with a community that I feel many don't have.

I really feel lucky to have come across Pilgrimage, because I grew up in the UCC faith. Then, however, it was called the Congregational Church. That was all I ever knew. My wife Jamie was raised Catholic. I faced some challenges with the Catholic faith so we both started going to the UCC church together.

We moved to Atlanta from New England about ten years ago. Our pastor had given us information about a UCC church in Marietta where we were going to be living. We decided to check it out when we arrived. 

Pilgrimage was indeed an Open and Affirming church, which meant a lot to us. We liked the welcoming, loving atmosphere we found at Pilgrimage and felt this would be a good environment in which to raise our children. 

It has proven to be just such a place!  After having been members for many years, we were surprised by the stories of rejection that some of the people in our congregation had faced at other churches. In some cases, they had been members of these churches for years. I asked myself, how could a church, of all places, reject someone?  That’s one reason we feel so fortunate to be members of Pilgrimage.

It’s the people that have kept us coming back. Neither my wife nor I have ever regretted this decision. We are very happy to be an active part of Pilgrimage, raising our children in a loving and welcoming environment.