Welcome to St. John's United Church of Christ

You are welcome to come to this place of worship and celebration.

You are welcome to come to this place of hope and strength.

You are welcome to come to this place of learning and growth.

You are welcome to come to this place to grow in the spirit and be transformed to become the person God is calling you to be.

You are welcome to come to this place where you are accepted and loved for who you are.

ST. JOHN’S UCC IS OPEN & AFFIRMING 

      St. John’s United Church of Christ in Emmaus officially has been recognized as an Open and Affirming church by the United Church of Christ.

      The certification means the members of St. John’s are making a public, official declaration that they celebrate diversity and actively affirm God's love by welcoming all people into the church family and ministry.

        An Open and Affirming covenant approved by the congregation states: “As disciples of Jesus Christ, we proclaim that every person is a beloved child of God, created in God’s image. We welcome all—regardless of race, ethnicity, age, physical or mental ability, marital or economic status, national

origin, faith background, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression—into the full life and leadership of this church.”

      By adopting their covenant, which is considered a binding promise, the congregation is following the Apostle Paul’s admonition to “accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” 

      “We welcome and affirm all people—no exceptions— into the full life and leadership of the church,” said Dr. Paul Knappenberger, pastor of St. John’s. “That’s not politics. That’s discipleship.”  

    Dr. Knappenberger continued: “Every person is created in the image of God, redeemed by the love of Christ and gathered by the Holy Spirit. That’s not a slogan. That’s the Gospel.

     “Open and Affirming is simply the church catching up to the wideness of God’s mercy.”

    The congregation of St. John’s unanimously approved requesting Open and Affirming certification by approving its covenant at a congregational meeting on Dec. 21.  

     The church was notified on Jan.22 that the  request was approved by the UCC’s  Open and Affirming Coalition. It received its Open and Affirming certificate on Feb. 19.

     While the Open and Affirming designation was created by the UCC primarily to support and serve the LGBTQ community, who often have been excluded from church life, the people of St. John’s have spread their welcoming arms of inclusion even wider. 

     With the new covenant, they are making a public commitment that everyone is welcome to become active members of St. John’s family — not only for worship services, but in all aspects of church life: membership, leadership and ordination.  It is a commitment to both inclusion and justice. 

      Certification of its covenant is only the beginning of St. John’s new mission to become  known as an Open and Affirming church. Congregations that adopt an Open and Affirming covenant often find doors open to new opportunities for ministry, mission, and church growth, according to the UCC. 

    While all churches may claim to welcome everyone, the UCC maintains that’s not necessarily true. Many people have learned the hard way that churches declaring “All Are Welcome” often doesn’t apply to them. LGBTQ+ folks, for example, can’t assume that every church will be a safe and comfortable fit for themselves and their families.

       “The world is full of people who have been told ‘no’ in God’s name,” said Dr. Knappenberger. “Some of those ‘nos’ happened in churches. If nothing can separate a person from the love of Christ, then the church has no business acting like it can. Dehumanizing anyone doesn’t just harm a person. It insults the Creator.

     “The church — if it belongs to Jesus — cannot become a place where some people feel they have to shrink, hide or pretend in order to be safe. The church is meant to be a place where people can finally exhale.”

         Located at 139 N. Fourth St. in Emmaus, St. John’s has worship services at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sundays at this time of year, as well as short informal services at 6:30 pm Tuesdays.

    There are nearly 1,950 Open and Affirming churches nationwide, each with a public covenant of welcome and affirmation. St. John’s is number 1,949. Forty of those churches were certified in 2025 —an indication of a growing movement. 

      Other Open and Affirming churches located nearby include Faith UCC in Center Valley,  St. John’s UCC in Allentown, St. John’s UCC in Fullerton, Union UCC in Neffs, and Heidelberg Union Church and Good Shepherd UCC, both in Slatington.

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