A Network resource

Affirming houses of worship

Congregations across the South Coast that have said, in their own words or through their own denomination, that LGBTQ+ people are welcome to belong fully. Not tolerated. Not quietly accommodated. Welcome to belong.

16 congregations, 13 towns, every one verified against a public source
This list is an invitation, not a verdict. If a congregation is missing, it means we have not verified it yet.

How to read this list

Nobody is here by our opinion

A congregation appears only when there is a citable public source: a formal denominational designation, or a welcome the congregation states itself. The basis is printed on every card so you can weigh it yourself.

Missing is not a judgment

We are still working through the region. A congregation that is not here has not been verified yet, and that is all it means. We would be glad to hear from any congregation that belongs here.

A designation is a starting point

It is a public commitment, not a promise about any single day or any single person. If it matters to you, call ahead and ask. Every congregation here has said publicly that it expects that question.

16 of 16
Town

United Church of Christ

Open and Affirming (ONA)

8

A UCC congregation becomes Open and Affirming by a vote of its own members, adopting a public covenant to welcome people of every sexual orientation and gender identity into full participation. It is a formal, recorded designation, not a slogan.

Pilgrim United Church of Christ

New Bedford, MA

Listed as an Open and Affirming congregation in the Southern New England Conference UCC registry.

635 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA 02740 pilgrimuccnb.org
Open and Affirming (ONA)Details →

Congregational Church of South Dartmouth (UCC)

South Dartmouth, MA

Their own site names them an open and affirming congregation welcoming persons of every sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

congochurchsd.org
Open and Affirming (ONA)Details →

Mattapoisett Congregational Church (UCC)

Mattapoisett, MA

Declared Open and Affirming by unanimous congregational vote in 2024, stated on their own Open and Affirming page.

27 Church Street, Mattapoisett, MA 02739 mattapoisettcongregationalchurch.org
Open and Affirming (ONA)Details →

Lakeville United Church of Christ

Lakeville, MA

Their own site declares them Open and Affirming, welcoming all irrespective of gender identity and expression and sexual orientation.

lakevilleucc.net
Open and Affirming (ONA)Details →

Seekonk Congregational Church, UCC

Seekonk, MA

Their own site names them an open and affirming congregation that will not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

(508) 336-9355 scc-ucc.com
Open and Affirming (ONA)Details →

Central Square Congregational Church, UCC

Bridgewater, MA

Their own site names them an open and affirming church welcoming every sexual orientation and gender identity.

71 Central Square, Bridgewater, MA 02324 csccucc.org
Open and Affirming (ONA)Details →

The Congregational Church of Mansfield (Orthodox), UCC

Mansfield, MA

Became an Open and Affirming church in 2012, welcoming the LGBTQ community, stated on their own About page.

occmansfield.org
Open and Affirming (ONA)Details →

Amicable Congregational Church (UCC)

Tiverton, RI

Open and Affirming covenant adopted; listed with ONA status in the national UCC church directory.

amicablechurch.org
Open and Affirming (ONA)Details →

Unitarian Universalist

Welcoming Congregation

5

Welcoming Congregation is a program of the Unitarian Universalist Association. A congregation earns the designation by completing a course of study and a vote, and it is recorded in the UUA's own directory.

Religious Society of Friends

Quaker meeting

1

Friends meetings record their commitments in minutes agreed by the meeting. The welcome below is stated by the meeting itself.

Jewish

Congregation

1

The welcome below is stated by the congregation on its own site.

Episcopal

Parish

1

The welcome below is stated by the parish on its own site.

No congregation matches that. Try a different town or clear the search.

Know a congregation that belongs here?

Tell us and we will look into it. We verify against a public source before anything goes up, so the more you can point us at, the faster it moves.

If your congregation is listed and you would rather not be, write to us and we will take it down, no questions asked. This list only works if it belongs to the community it is for.

Email the Network

What we check

A denominational designation such as Open and Affirming in the United Church of Christ or Welcoming Congregation in the Unitarian Universalist Association, or a welcome the congregation publishes itself. We do not infer, and we do not list a congregation on the strength of a friendly rumour.