Welcoming Cumberland Presbyterians is an independent grassroots movement of LGBTQ+ Cumberland Presbyterians and clergy, elders and laity who wish to increase participation in the church by living out our confessional calling to seek reconciliation among all groups of people (CoF, 6.32) and embrace all people in the life of the church (CoF, 6.16). The proposed amendments seek to modify the Constitution of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in such a way as to target individuals in a sexual relationship outside marriage. This could encompass engaged couples, disabled couples at risk of losing benefits upon marriage, same-sex couples, or any couple yet to marry or opting not to marry for personal reasons, disqualifying them from a call to serve as an Elder or Minister. We urge the Church to deny these amendments. We oppose the proposed amendments for being divisive, exclusionary, unnecessary and dangerous. They threaten the rightful and appropriate authority and discretion of our diverse presbyteries and sessions to ordain those whom they deem qualified. The following concerns are not an exhaustive list, but we hope it will be a starting place for further conversation: For the sake of unity, it is crucial we recognize that the church consists of those who, in good faith, come to different interpretative conclusions on the complex issue of sexuality. As "God alone is Lord of the Conscience," members should retain the prerogative to live according to their conscience. The proposed amendments are unnecessary because each presbytery and session already has the rightful authority to ordain those they deem qualified.  We believe the wisest path forward for the church is to continue respecting the rightful authority of our sessions and presbyteries to ordain those they deem qualified, uphold privacy and freedom of conscience for personal relationships, and practice tolerance and forbearance towards those with differing

Welcome to our new series of videos, where Cumberland Presbyterian clergy and laity share their personal journeys of reconciling faith and the Bible with acceptance and support for our LGBTQ siblings. Inspired by the 1984 Confession of Faith, which encourages us to embrace one another (6.16) with the grace of Christ (5.10), share insights, and grow together (1.07), this series aims to foster a spirit of dialogue and understanding. Watch these stories and learn about why these Cumberland Presbyterians have become friends and allies to members of the LGBTQ+ community: Rev. Billy Price, Rev. Dwight Liles, Rev. Chris Warren, Rev. Byron Forester, Rev. Tommy Clark, Pat Pottorff White, Cheryl S, Jeff F, Jordan H In addition, we have extended invitations to several Cumberland Presbyterians who identify as LGBTQ+ to share their personal stories, allowing the church to gain a deeper understanding of the individuals who will be greatly impacted by rulings of General Assembly and church judicatories. Furthermore, we have curated a collection of written stories offering further insight into the experiences and perspectives of members of our church family, available at www.welcomingcps.org/our-stories. We encourage everyone to explore these stories as we navigate this important conversation. We are deeply grateful for each person who has shared (and will share) their personal story of why they are a friend and ally of the LGBTQ+ community. We pray that these stories serve as a source of comfort and hope, especially for those who have faced harmed or felt abandoned by the church. We pray too that God will touch the hearts of all those who view them. Our hope is that through witnessing the love and compassion we aim to convey, these videos will have a transformative impact on the minds and hearts of all who engage with them. If you would like

A message from Reverend Lisa Anderson, pastor of Colonial Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Moderator of the 184th General Assembly: Nine years ago a very unexpected thing happened. After saying no four times to people in my presbytery, I agreed to be nominated for Moderator of our General Assembly. About this time on that Monday I began to read all of the texts, messages, emails and listen to voice mail messages from literally hundreds of people congratulating me for being elected. It was absolutely not expected. The emotions were all over the place. Gratitude for the confidence, joy that my completely supportive spouse, family and closest friends were around me, regret that my father missed out on this event that would have been special for him, anxiety that I would get it all wrong, excitement that the year was going to be full of new experiences and most of all awe that even when we do not expect it God opens doors we cannot resist walking through. I said yes to my call to ministry at the Assembly that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the ordination of Louisa Woosley, the first ordination of a woman in the denomination. My call was clarified while listening to the voices of Mary Lin Hudson, Missy DeBerry and Donna Heflin. I said yes again to a call to serve the church as moderator on the 125th anniversary of that ordination and was inspired by the voices of Tiffany McClung, Deborah Matthews and women nearing ordination Whitney Brown, Anna Sweet and Ellen Hudson. One of the messages that night was from a dear seminary friend, he included the usual good thoughts and prayer. But also a challenge. He brought to my attention the young people and many others in the church who are quietly suffering from marginalization

On March 11, 2023, Japan Presbytery publicly announced their official response to the proposed exclusionary amendments to the Constitution of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America. Japan Presbytery urges the church to carefully consider its concerns and reject the proposed amendments, in part, because their approval will hinder the church's evangelistic efforts. The full statement follows: Japan Presbytery’s Response to the Proposed Amendments to the Constitution 2.92, 4.2, and 6.35 Praise the name of the Lord! We, Japan Presbytery, extend our heartfelt greetings to all our brothers and sisters in Christ of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church around the world. We salute you for your unceasing service to the Lord and for your faithful ministry in each region, even in these difficult times. It is our great joy that we are saved by the gospel of reconciliation in the Lord Jesus Christ and connected with you in the bond of Christ to be one family of God’s people. Our General Assembly is a precious place where we reaffirm our identity as a global faith community. Now we of Japan Presbytery must share our concern about the constitutional amendments referred to the Joint Committee on Amendments by the 191st General Assembly. We beg you to listen to a voice from Asia before this matter is finally decided. The Confession of Faith of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church states that “God’s word spoken in and through the scriptures should be understood in the light of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth” (1.06). Jesus always acted to do God’s will even when he was criticized for breaking the Law. “What would Jesus do” is the principle our Confession of Faith upholds. If we exclude someone on the basis of rules in existing documents, we disobey that

In the wake of the November 19th, 2022, mass shooting at a queer nightclub in Colorado Springs, Welcoming Cumberland Presbyterians urges church leaders across the U.S. and around the world to pray over the tragic loss of five lives and for healing for the 18 injured victims, and for their families and loved ones. Survivors of the Club Q shooting have pointed to the ongoing use of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric by political leaders as a contributing factor to the violence and loss of life they experienced. It is essential that leaders in both the church and society use language and actions that promote love and understanding, rather than hate and fear. The General Assemblies of Cumberland Presbyterian Churches have explicitly condemned hate, violence, and denigration perpetrated against any person, as well as any form of oppression based on gender or sexual expression. We call on church leaders to unconditionally denounce all forms of violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community. We believe such a message can discourage future perpetrators, and also expresses pastoral support to LGBTQ+ people in our communities. We urge church leaders to participate in demonstrations and vigils in support of LGBTQ+ people, and for all Christians to join efforts to end discrimination against them by supporting equality initiatives and laws. Befriending LGBTQ+ people and learning about the issues they face while eschewing stereotypes and misinformation will help end hateful attitudes and violence against them. By raising our voices now, we can provide hope in this time of tragedy and ensuring compassion and respect for LGBTQ+ people are an essential part of the church’s pastoral mission. “In her corporate life and through her individual members, the church is an advocate for all victims of violence and all those whom the law or society treats as less than persons for

Rev. Lisa Anderson Following the Club Q Shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which killed five children of God, injured at least eighteen, and left countless people across the country traumatized, Reverend Lisa Hall Anderson, the founding executive director of Room in the Inn-Memphis and pastor of Colonial Cumberland Presbyterian Church condemned hateful rhetoric and exclusion targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Calling for repentance, Rev. Anderson wrote: "What we say matters, what we do matters. I am a Christian minister who believes that all are created by God in God’s image and are beloved by God. Because of the hatred and exclusion LGBTQ+ neighbors find places to feel safe, because of our tolerance for hate filled rhetoric in and out of the church even in those places they cannot be safe. Intolerance and exclusion is a sin and it is deadly." “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, For God is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil. Joel 2:12-13

Adopted by the 2016 Cumberland Presbyterian Church’s General Assembly: Whereas, we Cumberland Presbyterians are considering the call of God to “Go” during this 186th meeting of the General Assembly; and Whereas, Jesus sent the twelve with these instructions: “As you go, proclaim the good news. The kingdom of heaven has come near. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” (Matthew 10:7-8); and Whereas, we seek the healing of our divisions as Cumberland Presbyterians; and Whereas, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was founded in 1810 in Dickson County, Tennessee, USA, and grew rapidly in a nation that endorsed, participated in, and benefited from the practice of enslaving African men, women and children who were brought to this nation through the brutal trans-Atlantic slave trade; and Whereas, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was inconsistent in its condemnation of American slavery as an institution -- an institution that condoned the buying and selling of persons made in the image of God; an institution in which African American families were often separated, and individuals were beaten and abused in body and mind; and Whereas, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church often condoned the segregation of its African American members into separate balconies, congregations, and classes because of the influence of cultural ideas of racial superiority and inferiority; and Whereas, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church refused to allow its African American members full and equal membership following emancipation and the end of slavery; organizing instead separate congregations, presbyteries, and other judicatories that were denied representation in the General Assembly, and Whereas, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church encouraged and supported the organization of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America (originally the Colored Cumberland Presbyterian Church) in 1874 in order to avoid the difficult work of integration, and to avoid offending its members who continued to hold fast

Ecumenical/Interfaith Anti-Violence Initiative Sunday, October 4, 2026 (or anytime in October) Join us in observing Solidarity Sunday, October 4th, 2026. This day offers congregations from various faith traditions the opportunity to pray for an end to violence, hate, and harassment directed against marginalized communities, including—but not limited to—religious, racial, and ethnic minorities; gender and sexual minorities; immigrants; women; people with disabilities; and all groups who experience targeted violence and injustice. How this day is observed is up to each local congregation. We encourage your leadership to decide how best to mark the day in your context, whether through prayer, education, advocacy, or other meaningful actions. A powerful way to visibly show your support of marginalized communities visible is by wearing a rainbow ribbon to your religious services—both in person and online—during the week of October 4, 2026, and throughout the month of October. The number of reported hate crimes — crimes motivated by bias against someone’s race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity —rose by 7% between 2021 and 2022, according to the latest 2022 hate crime data from the FBI. Black and/or African American people were the most frequent targets reported overall. Among gender-motivated hate crimes, anti-transgender hate crimes increased 35% year over year. Religiously motivated hate crimes increased 27%, and specifically, antisemitic hate crimes increased by 36% from 2021 to 2022. (Updated on Thu, December 14, 2023 by the USAFacts Team In 2021, following anti-Asian rhetoric related to COVID-19, which demonstrated the power of speech to incite violence, anti-Asian hate crimes surged by 339 percent nationwide, according to a report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. According to the FBI's most recent Hate Crime Statistics (2024), law enforcement agencies reported 11,679 hate crime incidents involving 14,243 victims. Hate crimes motivated by race,

There are a diversity of Cumberland Presbyterians faithfully serving the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and they have been gifts to the denomination throughout its history. We invited a few folks to share their stories in order to help people throughout the church know a few of those whom the exclusionary amendments and discussions on LGBTQ+ inclusion affect most directly. These stories reveal deep faith and commitment to the church but also the damage that comes when people choose intolerance and seek to limit God’s calling on all kinds of people. These stories are an expression of our commitment to God, to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and to sharing the truth of our experiences and our faith. We recognize that our gay and lesbian siblings are not an exception when Scripture declares that God will pour out God’s Spirit on all flesh and that God is no respecter of persons. We hope these stories will be a step towards deeper connection and greater unity as we seek to break down any walls that may exist between us. Thanks for watching! WCP Stories: Allison & Elicia WCP Stories: Michael WCP Stories: Angela WCP Stories: Mandy and Jamie WCP Stories: Christi WCP Stories: Obed WCP Stories: Michael L If you are interested in sharing your story as a part of this project, please contact us. We will also accept anonymous submissions using an alias.