South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, 45 Maple Street, Springfield, MA
One
of Springfield’s oldest congregations, South Church is one of the few Christian
churches in Hampden County whose members have voted an official welcome to the GLBT community. It performed a same-sex marriage six months before the Supreme
Judicial Court’s historic ruling! On any given Sunday, 20% of folks in the pews
are GLBT.
South Church is part of the United Church of Christ, America’s most liberal Protestant denomination. It allows freedom of thought and conscience to all members, offers women and men equal participation in church ministry and governance, and invites believers of all ages to share holy communion regardless of marital status or church affiliation.
Unitarian Universalist Society of Greater Springfield, (UUSGS), 245 Porter Lake Drive, Springfield MA
Although rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition, Unitarian Universalism <www.uua.org> as it is practiced today is a faith community open to the wisdom from all of the world's great religious traditions. Unitarian Universalism is one of the few religions that ordains openly Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender people. For well over a decade, same sex unions have been celebrated within the Springfield congregation and now it happily celebrates the marriage equality MA has made possible for members and friends of its faith community.
Over fifteen years ago, the Springfield congregation completed the UUA's internal educational process (Becoming a Welcoming Congregation) and was officially designated a Welcoming Congregation. Since that time, it has actively attended to insuring a welcoming presence for all GLBT individuals and families who enter its doors. Additionally, it continues to stay active in the community and beyond around issues of advocacy that affect GLBT citizens and families.
Sinai Temple, 1110 Dickinson Street, Springfield, MA 01108
Sinai Temple is a welcoming and inclusive Reform Congregation where our members pursue a continuing journey of Jewish growth. We are guided by the history and traditions of the Jewish people as we encounter the challenges of the modern world. We encourage participation in prayer, life-long Jewish learning, and social justice within a joyful, creative, and compassionate community.
Rabbi Mark Shapiro will perform same-sex marriages if both partners are Jewish, or in the case of an interfaith couple, he will perform the marriage if the Jewish partner is either a member of Sinai Temple or the child of a member.