The promise of God’s love and grace for all people is fundamental to our life together in Christian community with our LGBTQIA+ family. All too often the Christian church has been negligent in expressing God’s love and care for people, races, cultures, capacities, status and orientation. Pride Month was birthed by those left out of “usual” congregations and “normal” society. The Stonewall Riots on June 28th 1969 marked their cries for liberation. LIberation from fear, from violence, from persecution, liberation that Christians understand comes from a gracious and compassionate God, who created all life in God’s image, and calls us good.

In 1992, Wesley Foundation Serving UCLA took a bold step in proclaiming the sacred worth and dignity of our LGBTQIA+ family. This was (and remains for some) a radical departure from our denominations teachings and policies. These brave and courageous leaders created the framework for our work today at 580 Cafe as an inclusive, justice minded, liberating presence of Christ on campus and in the community. While we celebrate Pride and the legacy and courage of those before us, we must not lose sight of living and acting in ways that continue to build the beautiful, bold and blessed body of Christ in all it’s expressions and identities as we seek to embody the Love of Christ Jesus for a world in need of renewal and reconciliation.

Covenant Of Reconciliation: Wesley Foundation Serving UCLA/ 580 Cafe

As a community of faith in an academic environment we strive to reach out to all persons seeking spiritual strength and guidance.

We believe all persons are recipients of God’s love and grace. God intends the church to be a community which embodies love, grace and justice for all people. As a sign of faithfulness to God’s covenant with all humankind, we discern that God is challenging the Christian community to accept Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, + (LGBTQIA+) as co-workers in the household of faith.

We affirm the participation of LGBTQIA+ persons in all aspects of our life together. We seek to address and advocate the needs and concerns of our LGBTQIA+ family in our church and society. We strive to utilize the gifts of all persons in our ministry without regard to sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity.

We are concerned by the continued presence of homophobia in our society and in our churches. Such fear and hatred reflect neither God’s love nor intent for the community of faith. We hope that our affirmation of the wholeness of all persons will bring reconciliation to all people with the ministry of the church who find themselves in exile from the family of God. 

We are steadfast in proclaiming God’s grace, dignity and call for all people.