Our Open and Affirming Team

In July of 2024, a team of 7 people began our journey of becoming an Open and Affirming church.

What is Open and Affirming (or ONA, for short)?

Open and Affirming (ONA) is the United Church of Christ’s (UCC) designation for congregations, campus ministries, and other bodies in the UCC which make a public covenant of welcome into their full life and ministry to persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. For our congregation who has been welcoming people of all sexualities and genders for a while now, it is a process to make our outsides look like our insides.

The Open and Affirming Team Are:

Tina Hudson

Linda O’Riley

Brandy Bring

Maribeth Peiniger

Andy Kovats

Lyn Ettinger-Harwell

Celebrating US as a newly-certified ONA Church #1,926!

Our Church Covenant:

God created all things and called them good, but humanity and church institutions have often failed to comprehend this foremost truth. In acknowledgement of this, we welcome all people regardless of age, race, background, ability, marital status, economic situation, political persuasions, gender identity and expressions, or sexual orientation. We believe that God’s love and grace is for everyone and we commit to walking together in love, justice, and compassion.

THEREFORE, the Community Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ, Manitou Springs, Colorado, declares itself to be an Open and Affirming congregation in accordance with the resolution adopted by the 15th General Synod of the United Church of Christ.

Adopted on June 1, 2025