On Sunday, June 5, 2022, J. J. Warren will preach at the worship service that begins at 10 am, and lead a panel discussion during Fellowship Hour, afterward.
J.J. Warren is a public theologian, speaker, activist and author of Reclaiming Church: A Call to Action for Religious Rejects. Adam Hamilton, author of Making Sense of the Bible, characterized Warren’s book as “engaging, accessible and moving. If you are trying to make sense of the debate about human sexuality, marriage equality, and the church, this little book is a great place to start.” At the 2019 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, J.J. Warren made an impassioned plea for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people. Since then he has traveled the world spreading a message of radical love and forward progress. J.J. recently earned a Master of Divinity degree at Boston University School of Theology. He is a certified candidate for ordained ministry in the UMC. He grew up in nearby Penn Yan, NY and graduated from the local high school.
J.J. Warren’s presence on June 5th is being coordinated by the Reconciling Ministries Team of the Seneca Falls United Methodist Church. The Seneca Falls UMC congregation in 2020 adopted a Welcoming Statement that included the wording that “we are a mutually supportive and Christian family” that affirms “that each person is of sacred worth, that all people are God’s children created in God’s image, loved and blessed equally….We do not seek to erase our differences, but to journey together in faith….all people are welcome in our church family.” Since adopting this Welcoming Statement, the Seneca Falls UMC has become a member of the Reconciling Ministries Network.
People of all ages—youth, parents and senior citizens; gay or straight or questioning—will benefit from hearing J.J. Warren address the need for inclusion within the UMC.