Becoming an Affirming Church

Social Justice at Windermere United


Becoming an Affirming Church

While Windermere officially became an Affirming Congregation in 2019, we use the verb “becoming” intentionally to signify the ongoing acts of learning, growing, listening and evolving.


Our church is engaged in a deep process of examining God’s call and our own actions. In 2019, we adopted the following Vision Statement:

Windermere United Church – Open to Spirit/Open to You

We will reflect God’s diversity and love of the world by shaping our communal life, speech and actions according to the life and teachings of Jesus. With the Spirit’s help, we will accompany one another, both within and beyond our church community, on life’s journey—respecting differences, valuing diversity and growing in mutual love and understanding as we go. We welcome and celebrate people of all races, ages, genders, gender identities, sexual orientations, cultures, abilities and economic circumstances.   


We created a five-point Plan of Action that we are now living out:

  • Expressing God’s love through faith in action, including:
  • undertaking a green audit and working to improve accessibility of the building.
  • exploring justice issues and providing resources on issues such as inclusion, right relations, racism and ageism.
  • Focusing on faith formation, including:
  • explaining and promoting our Affirming approach with congregants and newcomers alike.
  • ensuring our words reflect our Affirming approach, from words spoken in worship to a church library that reflects the diversity of human experience.
  • Accompanying people on their journey, including:
  • speaking out on current events that demean or incite violence against others.
  • advocating for policies that reflect a diverse and inclusive society.
  • inviting people to activities that promote diversity, and ensuring our own pastoral practices respect difference and diversity. 
  • Being accountable in public, intentional and explicit ways, including:
  • posting Affirming information regularly on our Website, and in print materials and signage.
  • reporting at Council and congregational meetings on what we have done to remove barriers and be open to the Spirit in others. 
  • Welcoming and celebrating all expressions of sexual orientation and gender identity, including:
  • providing a scholarship award for a graduating elementary or high school student who has shown leadership in inclusion.
  • connecting and partnering with community groups and support networks related to diversity.
  • seeking out other congregations that are Affirming, to learn and partner with them. 


For more information on Affirming Ministries, please see Affirm United.

Embracing Diversity, Seeking Justice for All

At Windermere, inclusion and social justice are knit into our very being. It’s how we understand God’s love for the world. We passionately believe that God’s love is for all on this planet, and that we, as co-creators with God, are called to be instruments of that love. We celebrate and promote what is good and fair. We challenge, resist, and work to change systemic and individual obstacles to justice.


Striving to be inclusive and just can require difficult and brave choices. In this, we are thankful to have Reverend Alexa and others in the congregation as faithful guides. When we come to a difficult decision, the congregation will generally meet to talk it through, discerning as best we can the way forward. This process has led Windermere to take action, including:


In our current challenging times, we feel called more keenly than ever to “do justice” (Micah 6:8.) With God as our Helper, we are ready and willing to live into these challenges. If this kind of faith community resonates with your values, you may wish to give Windermere a try.

More Resources


Anti-Racism Resources

We've listed some excellent tools to help people of all ages and stages be anti-racism positive.


Black Mental Health and Well-Being

We’ve linked to a number of good organizations in Toronto with services ranging from social support to legal assistance.


What does it mean to be an ally? 

Steve Paikin moderated an excellent discussion about how to be a good ally.


Understanding White Privilege 

We’ve linked to the Website of Robin DiAngelo, a prominent racial and social justice educator and writer. In particular, we recommend her book, White Fragility:

Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, available for purchase from the United Church Bookstore. 

Institutionalized racism persists deeply in our current food systems. A number of organizations are working to address Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) racism in food systems: