Our 2016 annual conference in Ottawa is now complete! We welcomed over 100 attendees and global partners; we shared in theatre, worship, song, workshops, and words of challenge and affirmation.
Affirm United/ S’affirmer Ensemble offers profound gratitude to the Ottawa annual conference planning team. From the details of homemade muffins to the big picture of an integrated and thoughtful theme on trans* identities and rights, you offered us a safe, questioning, sacred space. Your hard work and generous spirits created a “kairos” moment for our movement, and we are deeply grateful for your months and months of labour and planning.
The same is true for the many facilitators, theme speakers, ceremonial leaders, worship leaders, singers, and actors who brought us words of life and welcomed us to Algonquin traditional territory. Thank you for renewing our spirits and challenging us to expand our knowledge and worldview.
And we thank all of the participants, especially those new to the movement. Thank you for taking the risk of moving into a new space to be with us, and for challenging us to be more widely and deeply welcoming.
Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble also thanks the global partners of the United Church of Canada for joining us to discuss LGBTQ rights and theology. Representatives joined us from the Middle East Council of Churches, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, the World Student Christian Federation, the Methodist Church in Argentina, and the only Metropolitan Community Church in Cuba.
Have a look at our conference photo album on Facebook. And please circle the dates for 2017: July 28-30. Watch our website for the location, and sign up for our newsletter so you can get your own invitation to the conference.