More Light - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Advocacy

For over a quarter century, Northside has served the gospel as a whole and the welcoming and affirming church movement in particular as the only More Light Presbyterian congregation in Michigan.* This does not mean, of course, that we believe we have “more light” than other churches. This phrase is used to describe over 130 congregations in the Presbyterian Church (USA) who openly affirm, in the words of 17th century pastor John Robinson, that “God hath yet more light to shed on [God’s] word.”

As a More Light congregation, we seek to allow entrée for God’s illuminating Spirit through our open and affirming acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in all aspects of church life -- leadership as well as membership.

Our congregation also supports the welcoming and affirming ministry of That All May Freely Serve, a national PC(USA) witness that seeks to “person” the issue of denominational exclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons from ordained leadership by providing “regional evangelists”.

*UPDATE: March 2009: First Presbyterian in Blissfield, MI has become the second More Light congregation in the state of Michigan!