Dear Friends in Christ,
On behalf of the Rocky Mountain Conference, United Church of Christ, and, in fact, a much wider sweep of the United Church of Christ than just our three-state area, let me affirm our unconditional support for the ministry and rightful call to episcopacy of The Bishop Karen Oliveto. We stand alongside our sisters and brothers of the United Methodist tradition as they seek to discern God’s call to wholeness and reconciliation for all of their beloved members, and in this particular instance, Bishop Oliveto.
Dear friends, let us acknowledge together that Christ stands with us in the midst of this strife, and remember that no one more fully understood the battle for justice than did he; we pray that his model of strength, fortitude, and forbearance in the face of opposition will uplift and embolden us all.
On the eve of an historic decision in this faithful denomination, we pray that those in places of power find in their hearts the radical and unconditional welcome that characterized Jesus’ own ministry, and thereby affirm Bishop Oliveto’s rightful call, not because or in spite of her God-given and God-blessed orientation, but because of her faithful response to God’s call upon her life.
In the Spirit of the Living Christ,
Rev. Sue Artt
Conference Minister
Rocky Mountain Conference – United Church of Christ