Collection

AllianceQ Records

Span Dates: 1972-2019
Bulk Dates:
Volume: 3 linear feet; 174 Megabytes; 4 Oversize Objects

Description

The records of AllianceQ, a Disciples ministry that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender-diverse Christians, consist of six series. (1) Administration and governance records, 1977-2019, which includes meeting minutes of the Coordinating Committee and the Council (two names for the body that governs the ministry) that record the issues considered and decisions made by AllianceQ’s leaders. The series also includes founding and governing documents, policies, membership records, and financial records, (2) Executive director files, 2013-2019, which include primarily born-digital records created by Mark Johnston, the first executive director and paid staff member of GLAD Alliance/AllianceQ. It also includes information about AllianceQ's activities at the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Assemblies and documentation relevant to two resolutions: GA 1327 and GA 1524. (3) Correspondence, 1992-2000. (4) Objects, undated. (5) Publications, 1987-2019, includes a nearly-complete run of the GLAD/AllianceQ newsletter, Crossbeams, from 1987 to 2019. The series also contains brochures, fliers, calendars, clippings, and other materials. (6) Affirming educational resources, 1972-2013. includes materials produced by Disciples for Disciples, as well as some for a wider audience.

Hist/Bio Note

AllianceQ is a membership organization and ministry that seeks full participation and inclusion in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. The ministry is in a covenant relationship with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). AllianceQ’s roots extend back to 1979, when gay and lesbian Disciples began meeting in secret. Gay, Lesbian, and Affirming Disciples Alliance, or GLAD Alliance, was founded in 1987 and immediately began publishing a newsletter, Crossbeams. In 1991 its Open+Affirming Ministries program launched, providing a process through which Disciples congregations and ministries could publicly welcome the LGBT community. Since its inception, GLAD Alliance contributed to a number of resolutions presented to the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Progress towards LGBTQ+ inclusion in the denomination proceeded slowly but steadily in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2013, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 1327, Becoming a People of Grace and Welcome to All. This resolution stated that no one should be excluded from fellowship based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, physical or mental ability, political stance, or theological perspective. Six years later, Resolution 1929, An Invitation to Education for Welcoming and Receiving the Gifts of Transgender and Gender-Diverse People, passed. In 2017, GLAD Alliance changed its name to Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance, or AllianceQ. The name change reflected the ministry’s wish to embrace and represent a more expansive range of gender identities and expressions.

Finding Aid

An online finding aid is available. License: CC BY 4.0 The Disciples of Christ Historical Society makes all of its archival finding aids and the metadata contained therein available for public use under a Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 license. Attribution is required for all users except library, archives, and museum metadata creators.
https://discipleshistory.as.atlas-sys.com/repositories/2/resources/42

Location

Disciples of Christ Historical Society Manuscript Collection Physical Address: 7229 Bethany Pike Mailing Address: P.O. Box D Bethany, WV 26032
https://discipleshistory.org/

Tags

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) | GLAD Alliance