We’re an inclusive church because we love our LGBTQ+ friends, neighbors, and family members and want them to worship and serve with us here in Springfield. We are here for all who wish to attend a Christ-centered church that cares about issues of justice and seeks to treat all our neighbors with compassion.
Our church motto is:
In the essentials, unity.
In the non-essentials, liberty.
And in all things, charity.
For us, the essentials include using the Bible as our text, believing in God, seeking salvation through Jesus, celebrating the resurrection, and anticipating the Kingdom of Heaven. On other issues, including some of particular importance to members of the LGBTQ+ community, we encourage members to prayerfully form and honor their own convictions, living them out in a spirit of Christian charity and hospitality to all.
Since 2022, Central Christian Church has taken the position of full inclusion for members of the LGBTQ+ community. This means that you will not merely be welcomed at Central but fully included and treated the same as we treat any other person who is interested in worshipping or learning more about Jesus. This includes baptism, membership, serving as volunteers or leaders, and marriage.
LGBTQ+ inclusion has been a divisive issue for many churches. And for members of the LGBTQ+ community, the lack of acceptance has been a hurtful issue. We repent of any actions that have fallen short of the love of Christ and have treated you as the “other” rather than as ones who bear the very image of God.
We not only invite and welcome you here; we need you here. We can’t fully understand your struggles and joys unless we pray, worship, fellowship, and serve together. There is much work to be done making Springfield more like heaven and we need your help doing it.
Central is a church that prioritizes staying true to Christ's teaching, keeping him at the Center of all that we do, and engaging our culture in ways that make the world a kinder and better place. We believe that the Bible calls us to do much more than tolerance; it calls us to form communities of love and grace for all, and that’s our aim.
We hope you will join us for worship. We also understand that entering a place of worship may trigger old hurts and open old wounds. As the pastor at Central, I’d love to sit down with you before or after your first visit to talk about ways we can work together to make Springfield feel more like Heaven and to make all who meet us feel like they’ve encountered someone with the spirit of Jesus. Email me at carl.ruby@ccspringfield.org if you would like to get acquainted and explore ways to accomplish this together. Whether you end up attending Central or not, it’s important to us that you know that you are loved and that we enjoy being your neighbor.
