First United Methodist Church of Hanford
A Reconciling Congregation

 First United Methodist Church of Hanford voted on November 3rd, 2024 to become a Reconciling Congregation, welcoming all people. At our Annual Church Charge Conference First UMC of Hanford voted to join the Reconciling Ministry Network with 97% of members voting in support. In making this decision we are making a public commitment that we are open to all and working to share the love of God with everyone in our community and in our world and especially for the LGBTQIA+ people in the United Methodist Church.

 Our Mission Statement to read:

 “We are a church that welcomes ALL people, that recognizes and celebrates God’s unconditional love and grace for all. Jesus loves everyone and we affirm that all persons are of Sacred Worth. We celebrate the gift of diversity of race, ethnicity, belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical and mental ability… We welcome the full inclusion of all people into the life and ministries of our congregation”.

What does it mean to be a Reconciling Congregation in the United Methodist Church?

It means that we have made a commitment to being in loving Christian ministry with all people without prejudice, to truly have “open hearts, open minds, and open doors,” to work  and live toward an all-inclusive love that our faith demands. And as a sign of that commitment, we have officially affiliated ourselves with the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN)

More Resources

To learn more about the Reconciling Ministry Network please visit their website.

To learn more about the issue of LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the church please please visit our Reconciling Resources Page