Rainbows, Resistance and Reconciliation (R3)
A Celebration of our Intersectional Pride
In the month of our 11th Anniversary as a
Reconciling Ministry Network (RMN) Congregation
Black History Month
First United Methodist Church of Evanston
Saturday/Sunday, February 15-16th, 2025
Grace Imathiu, Senior Pastor
Britt Cox, Executive Pastor
First United Methodist Church in Evanston (FUMCE) is celebrating it’s eleventh anniversary as a reconciling congregation that seeks justice and dignity for all LGBTQIA+ persons. The event for February 15-16th is a time to revisit our commitment and move into the future in these difficult times.
Our focus is on Intersectional pride and justice. FUMCE is a welcoming Christian community of the United Methodist Church (UMC) that offers hospitality, congregational care, and fellowship to all. We embrace individuals and families of all gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, races, and economic backgrounds. We are a community of faith seeking the transformation of the world through Jesus’ courageous love.
On the 11th anniversary of joining the RMN fellowship, we are celebrating this milestone with an event called “Rainbows, Resistance and Reconciliation (R3)”. Our desire is to bring the Reconciling community and prospective congregations in Evanston, our district area and Conference together in the spirit of love and fellowship.
These types of events in Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church have not happened since before the beginning of the COVID epidemic.
On Saturday, February 15th at the Anniversary Celebration we will welcome a national speaker. There will be local clergy and lay leaders participating in a panel on “What Next post UM General Conference and post Election 2024”, Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey is the preacher for the Anniversary Worship Service on Sunday, February 16, and will lead us in reflections on what is to come as we move forward together. There will be workshops focusing on various topics, including intersectional justice, queer and trans issues, being allies and biblical interpretation that heals not harms.
In this event we seek to:
- Provide opportunities for healing and hope: Build Community
- Vision faithful movement forward. Strategize about what people and churches need for this work.
- Identify ambassadors for LGBTQIA+ justice and advocacy (as RMN names them)
- Address issues facing us now like ongoing prejudice and the many hateful laws restricting gender affirming care.
- Strategize to take action against violence inflicted on members of the community,, especially transgender folk
- Address issues of mental health as relates to homophobic Christian teachings and societal attitudes and seek to reduce high suicide rates (ie mental health )
- Embrace Queer folk who because of cultural structural context (color) may still feel a need to be closeted
Christ calls us to welcome all, especially those on the margins, and creates inclusive communities based on love and justice. Intersectionality is key in our commitment to be reconciling; we seek justice in all communities.
Our United Methodist church has been an important center for spiritual convocations for over 100 years (see our history, below). We are member of the Northern Illinois Conference, a diverse UM Conference, rural and urban, with 54 Reconciling Ministry Network (RMN) congregations plus 4 RMN Communities and 5 campus ministries. While our congregation is one of many Reconciling and welcoming congregations in Evanston, we were one of the early members of the RMN fellowship since its inception. LGBTQIA+ persons are in all of our United Methodist communities representing many identities including: nationalities, races, backgrounds, languages, educational attainment, economic conditions, abilities, genders and sexual orientations.
Historical Significance of First Church Evanston
1. Founding and Pioneering Spirit: First Church earned its name by being the first religious congregation established in Evanston, Illinois. It was founded by the same group of Methodists who established the town of Evanston, Northwestern University, and Garrett Biblical Institute (now Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary). Their vision shaped the landscape of our city, and First Church became an integral part of this legacy.
2. Notable Figures: Throughout its history, a number of legendary figures have called First Church their spiritual home, including:
a. Frances Willard – A prominent suffragist, educator, and leader of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
b. Ernest Fremont Tittle – A renowned theologian and Senior Pastor of First Church from 1919 – 1939 who advocated for justice, racial equality, and global peace.
c. Georgia Harkness – The first female theologian at Garrett Seminary and an influential voice in progressive Christianity.
d. Harold Bosley and Dow Kirkpatrick – Pastors who inspired generations.
3. Distinguished Events: The pulpit of First Church has echoed with powerful voices, most notably those of:
a. The attendees of the 1954 World Council of Churches.
b. Dr Martin Luther King Jr., who delivered a sermon in 1963, leaving an indelible imprint on the congregation and community.
c. Dr Martin Luther King Sr., who delivered a sermon in 1969, on the one-year anniversary of his son’s assassination.
Community Impact
More than a house of worship, First Church also plays a vital role in serving the broader community:
1. Emergency Shelter: First Church serves as an overnight homeless shelter during the winter in collaboration/rotation with other faith communities through Interfaith Action of Evanston.
2. Soup Kitchen: First Church hosts a weekly soup kitchen for the homeless and food-insecure population.
3. Total Child: First Church sponsors and houses a daily child care center, preschool, and kindergarten, serving families of all income levels.
4. Community Gathering Space: First Church serves as a hub for worship for our congregation, home for the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation (JRC) high holiday services, cultural events, and community programs.
5. Youth Ministry: First Church offers child and youth programs for ages 2-18.
6. Appalachian Service Project: First Church financially supports and actively participates in ASP youth and adult projects that improve homes of low-income residents of Appalachia each year.
7. Bundled Blessings Diaper Pantry: Members of First Church founded this diaper pantry in 2013 for families in our community and distributed 427,000 diapers to 720 children through 18 local service agencies in 2023. Bundled Blessings achieved their 2 millionth diaper in 2023.
8. Reconciling Congregation: First Church has been a member of UMC Reconciling Ministries for over a decade. This affiliate organization helped usher in changes at the United Methodist Church’s 2024 General Conference, where all LGBTQ+ limitations were removed from our denomination’s book of discipline.
9. Diverse Membership: First Church welcomes everyone and, as a result, benefits from a very diverse congregation. Manifestations of this diversity are demonstrated by our Senior Pastor, Grace Imathiu, who hails from Kenya, and our Executive Pastor, Britt Cox, who is a proud member of the LBGTQ+ community.
Potential Schedule
Saturday:
- 9:00-9:30 AM- Registration
- 9:30-10:00 AM- Music, Welcome, Gathering Worship
- 10:00 AM- Keynote Speaker
- 10:45 AM- Break
- 11:00 AM-Noon- Panel discussion, “Life After General Conference”
- 12:00 PM-1:30 PM- Lunch
- 1:30 PM-3:00 PM- Workshops
- 3:00-3:30 PM- Closing Worship with Preacher to send us forth
Sunday:
- 9:15 AM- 10:15 AM- Adult Education, “Reconciliation and Intersectionality”
- 10:30-11:30 AM- Morning Worship: Special Music and Guest Preacher
- 11:45 AM- Celebration of Life Milestone
Registration Link
Registration link will be posted soon.