New Life MCC is a mainline Christian church that is neither Catholic nor Protestant, but made up of folks coming from many different denominational and ecumenical backgrounds. Our faith practices reflect the diverse and ALL inclusive nature of our members.
New Life MCC is part of the worldwide Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) a Christian movement that was started by the Rev. Elder Troy Perry in Los Angeles, California in 1968, just a year before the Stonewall Riots in NYC. Today there are some 300 MCC churches in 22 countries worldwide.
MCC’s presence first came to Hampton Roads in 1977 and in the 34 years since that time our local Congregation has continued to focus on bringing the transformative power of God’s spirit to all people.
As an MCC Church our joint Statement of Faith is a simple declaration of what we believe, as stated in our By-Laws, and accepted by our General Conference: “Christianity is the revelation of God in Jesus Christ and is the religion set forth in the scriptures. Jesus Christ is foretold in the Old Testament, presented in the New Testament, and proclaimed by the Christian Church in every age and in every land.” Founded in the interest of offering a church home to all who confess and believe, Metropolitan Community Churches moves in the mainstream of Christianity.
Our faith is based upon the principles outlined in the historic creeds: Apostles and Nicene.
We believe:
• In one triune God, omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, of one substance and of three persons: God – our Parent-Creator; Jesus Christ the only begotten son of God, God in flesh, human; and the Holy Spirit – God as our Sustainer.
• That the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God, showing forth God to every person through the law and the prophets, and finally, completely and ultimately on earth in the being of Jesus Christ.
• That Jesus…the Christ…historically recorded as living some 2,000 years before this writing, is God incarnate, of human birth, fully God and fully human, and that by being one with God, Jesus has demonstrated once and forever that all people are likewise Children of God, being spiritually made in God’s image.
• That the Holy Spirit is God making known God’s love and interest to all people. The Holy Spirit is God, available to and working through all who are willing to place their welfare in God’s keeping.
• Every person is justified by grace to God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Our Core Values
Inclusion
Love is our greatest moral value and resisting exclusion is a primary focus of our ministry. We want to continue to be the conduits of a faith where everyone is included in the family of God, and where all parts of our being are welcomed at God’s table.
Community
Offering a safe and open community for people to worship, learn and grow in their faith is our deep desire. We are committed to equipping ourselves and each other to do the work that God has called us to do in the world.
Spiritual Transformation
Providing a message of liberation from the oppressive religious environment of our day or to those experiencing God for the first time is what guides our ministry. We believe that when people are invited to experience God through the life and ministry of Christ, lives will be transformed.
Social Action
Working to talk less and do more, we are committed to resisting the structures that oppress people and standing with to those who suffer under the weight of oppressive systems, being guided always by our commitment to Global Human Rights.