awab.org

The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists (AWAB) publishes two main streams of content: a bi-monthly newsletter called The Welcoming Spirit, and a blog/news feed that carries organizational statements, commentary, and profiles. Both are aimed at education, advocacy, and keeping LGBTQ+ Baptists and their allies connected to the wider Welcoming and Affirming movement. If you want ongoing updates, subscribing to the newsletter is the direct route; if you want to browse individual articles, the blog is where they live.

The Welcoming Spirit Newsletter

The Welcoming Spirit is described on the site as AWAB's bi-monthly publication. The October 2026 edition is framed around the theme "Legacy, Faithfulness and What Comes Next," inviting readers to reflect on the legacies they inherit. That gives a sense of the newsletter's typical shape: a themed reflection rather than a pure events bulletin.

AWAB also offers a separate monthly newsletter subscription. The site's signup form asks only for a name and email, and the page states "Stay up to date with news and profiles by becoming a subscriber to our monthly Welcoming Spirit newsletter."

What you get

• Themed reflections tied to a current moment or season in the movement
• News and profiles of people and congregations
• A recurring connection point rather than one-off announcements

How to subscribe

1. Go to the AWAB site and locate the newsletter signup section.
2. Enter your name and email address in the form.
3. Submit — the page confirms with a "Success!" message.

If you only want the bi-monthly Welcoming Spirit rather than the monthly mailing, check the subscription options on the site, since the page distinguishes between the bi-monthly publication and the monthly newsletter.

Blog and News Articles

AWAB's blog carries short news posts and longer commentary. Recent examples from the site show the range:

The Brian Henderson piece makes the educational case directly: "Words matter in LGBTQ+ ministry because the people affected by them are already sitting in our churches, studying in our seminaries, and serving throughout Christian communities." That is the kind of argument AWAB uses its platform to circulate — practical theology aimed at congregations already wrestling with inclusion.

The Dolly Parton tribute shows the other register: public remembrance used to model what welcome and faith look like in a life that reached beyond the church.

Why These Resources Exist

AWAB describes itself as "the only organization solely devoted to building the Welcoming and Affirming movement within the Baptist traditions," and as "The National Voice for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Allied Baptists in the US." Since 1993 it has worked with individuals, congregations, regional groupings, and as a national body.

The stated purpose is to "advance the Radical Welcome and Love of God in Jesus Christ through being the Ministry of Reconciliation and building up the Beloved Community where all will be one." The published content serves that mission in three ways:

• Education — explaining what Welcoming and Affirming means in practice, as in the Henderson commentary on language
• Advocacy — speaking publicly through outlets like Baptist News Global
• Community connection — keeping scattered individuals and congregations linked through shared reading and reflection

Practical Takeaways

• For individuals: subscribing to the newsletter is the lowest-effort way to stay current. It requires only a name and email.
• For congregations: the blog articles work as discussion material — the Henderson piece on words and ministry is a natural starting point for a leadership or adult-education conversation.
• For anyone exploring AWAB: the site also offers a "Find a Church" tool and membership through the Rainbow Circle, so the news and resources sit alongside concrete ways to connect rather than standing alone.

The site does not publish pricing information for these resources, and no payment details appear on the pages reviewed here. Whether any content sits behind a login or membership requirement is not stated in the available material, so check directly before assuming open access.

The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists (AWAB) is a US-based organization that works for LGBTQ+ inclusion within Baptist churches. Founded in 1993, it describes itself as "the only organization solely devoted to building the Welcoming and Affirming movement within the Baptist traditions" and as "The National Voice for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Allied Baptists in the US." If you are an LGBTQ+ person, an ally, or a congregation trying to become more inclusive, AWAB is the body that connects and supports that work.

What AWAB does

AWAB's stated mission is to advance "the Radical Welcome and Love of God in Jesus Christ" by acting as a ministry of reconciliation and building "the Beloved Community where all will be one." Its work runs along three lines:

• Advocacy — representing LGBTQ+ and allied Baptists at a national level and speaking into wider Baptist conversations.
• Education — publishing and writing on LGBTQ+ ministry, including pieces such as Executive Director Rev. Dr. Brian Henderson's opinion article for Baptist News Global on how language affects LGBTQ+ people in churches and seminaries.
• Faith-based justice — supporting churches in "being and becoming Welcoming and Affirming of all people regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation."

Who it serves

AWAB works at several levels at once:

How to engage with AWAB

The site offers a few concrete entry points:

• Find a Church — locate a Welcoming and Affirming congregation.
• Support — join the "Rainbow Circle" membership, described as a way to "sustain compassion in our faith communities."
• Newsletter — subscribe to Welcoming Spirit, AWAB's monthly newsletter (the bi-monthly The Welcoming Spirit publication covers longer-form reflection, such as its October 2026 edition on "Legacy, Faithfulness and What Comes Next").
• Blog and news — read current writing, including tributes and commentary from AWAB leadership.

What to keep in mind

AWAB operates within Baptist traditions and is explicit that it is a Christian, faith-based organization rather than a secular advocacy group. Its framing is theological — reconciliation, welcome, and beloved community — so it will be most useful to people and congregations already rooted in or exploring Baptist life. The site does not publish pricing or membership cost details, so if cost matters to you, check directly before joining the Rainbow Circle.

You can support AWAB in three concrete ways that the organization itself highlights: join the Rainbow Circle as a member, subscribe to its Welcoming Spirit newsletter, and use its church-finding and news resources to stay connected to the Welcoming & Affirming movement. These options suit anyone who wants to sustain LGBTQ+ inclusion in Baptist churches—whether you are an individual, a congregation, or an ally looking for a place to start.

What AWAB Is and Why Support Matters

AWAB (Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists) describes itself as the only organization solely devoted to building the Welcoming and Affirming movement within Baptist traditions. Since 1993 it has worked as "The National Voice for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Allied Baptists in the US."

Its stated work includes supporting churches in being and becoming Welcoming and Affirming of all people regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. It operates at multiple levels—individuals, congregations, regional groupings, and a national body—framed around "Radical Welcome and Love of God in Jesus Christ" and building the Beloved Community.

Because AWAB positions itself as a movement rather than a single congregation, support can take several forms depending on how much time, money, or visibility you want to contribute.

Ways to Support AWAB

1. Join the Rainbow Circle

The site's main call to action is: "You can help someone come home to love and acceptance today. Become a member of the Rainbow Circle to sustain compassion in our faith communities."

• What it is: A membership program whose stated purpose is to sustain compassion in faith communities.
• Who it suits: Individuals who want an ongoing, recurring form of support rather than a one-time action.
• What to expect: The site directs you to a "Find Out How" link from the Rainbow Circle prompt. Note that the provided page evidence does not list pricing, tiers, or payment platforms, so check the linked page directly for current details.

2. Subscribe to the Welcoming Spirit Newsletter

AWAB publishes a bi-monthly publication called The Welcoming Spirit and offers a newsletter signup on its site.

• What it is: A recurring newsletter ("Stay up to date with news and profiles by becoming a subscriber to our monthly Welcoming Spirit newsletter").
• How to subscribe: Enter your name and email in the signup form on the site.
• Why it helps: Staying informed keeps you connected to AWAB's advocacy, education, and faith-based justice work, and makes it easier to share updates with your own congregation.

3. Use and Share AWAB's Resources

Support is not only financial. AWAB's site offers tools that extend its reach when you use them:

Sharing a "Find a Church" result with someone who is searching for an affirming congregation, or forwarding a news item, is a direct way to advance AWAB's stated goal of helping people "come home to love and acceptance."

What the Site Does Not Specify

The provided page evidence does not mention:

• Donation amounts, methods, or platforms
• Volunteer sign-up procedures
• Membership fees or payment options
• Login requirements

If you want to donate or volunteer, treat those as possibilities to confirm on the site rather than documented options. The evidence-supported actions are the Rainbow Circle membership, the newsletter subscription, and use of the Find a Church, blog, and news resources.

A Practical Starting Point

If you are unsure where to begin, this sequence covers the documented options:

1. Subscribe to the newsletter — low commitment, keeps you informed.
2. Explore "Find a Church" — useful if you or someone you know needs an affirming congregation.
3. Join the Rainbow Circle — if you want to sustain the work financially on an ongoing basis.
4. Share what you find — pass along AWAB's resources to your church or community.

Each step matches something AWAB itself promotes, so you can act without guessing at unstated programs.

AWAB (the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists) provides a Find a Church tool on its website, awab.org, for people looking for Baptist congregations that publicly welcome and affirm LGBTQ+ people. It is the practical starting point if you want a local or online faith community rather than a general directory of Baptist churches. AWAB describes itself as the only organization solely devoted to building the Welcoming and Affirming movement within Baptist traditions, and has supported churches in being and becoming welcoming since 1993.

What "Welcoming & Affirming" means here

A Welcoming & Affirming Baptist church is one that has committed to full inclusion of people regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation — not just a statement of friendliness, but an intentional stance reflected in congregational life. AWAB frames this as "Radical Welcome" and the "Ministry of Reconciliation," working with individuals, congregations, regional groupings, and as a national body.

That distinction matters when you search: a church may be kind to visitors without having taken a public affirming position. AWAB's directory is built around congregations that have made that commitment.

Steps to find a church

1. Go to awab.org and look for the Find a Church link, listed alongside Support, Newsletter, and Blog in the site's main navigation.
2. Browse the listings for congregations in your area. AWAB's network spans individuals, congregations, and regional groupings across the US.
3. Check the congregation's own details before visiting — service times, location, and whether they offer online attendance if you can't attend in person.
4. Contact AWAB directly if nothing appears near you or if you need guidance. The site offers a newsletter signup and blog, and AWAB positions itself as a national voice and point of connection for LGBTQ+ and allied Baptists.

If you can't find a nearby church

• Ask AWAB about regional groupings — a regional body may know of congregations not prominently listed.
• Consider online participation; the site's framing of community is not limited to a single building.
• Subscribe to the Welcoming Spirit newsletter to stay informed about churches and profiles in the movement.

What you'll find beyond the directory

AWAB's site also carries news and reflection that help you judge whether a community's culture matches its label. Recent items include an October 2026 edition of The Welcoming Spirit, its bi-monthly publication, and an opinion piece by Executive Director Rev. Dr. Brian Henderson in Baptist News Global arguing that "words matter in LGBTQ+ ministry because the people affected by them are already sitting in our churches, studying in our seminaries, and serving throughout Christian communities."

Reading this material before you visit can tell you how a congregation talks about inclusion in practice, not only in policy.

Supporting the network

If you want to sustain this work rather than only use the directory, AWAB invites people to join the Rainbow Circle, described as a membership that sustains compassion in faith communities. The site's appeal — "You can help someone come home to love and acceptance today" — is aimed at both seekers and allies.

Quick reference

The directory is the fastest route, but treat it as a starting point: confirm the congregation's current welcome statement and service details yourself, and reach out to AWAB when the listings don't answer your question.

A Baptist church that identifies as Welcoming & Affirming has made a public commitment to include people of all gender identities and sexual orientations in the full life of the congregation. The term is most closely associated with the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists (AWAB), which describes itself as the only organization solely devoted to building this movement within Baptist traditions and as the national voice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and allied Baptists in the US. AWAB has carried out this work since 1993.

The core meaning of "Welcoming & Affirming"

The phrase joins two ideas that AWAB treats as one commitment:

• Welcoming means people are received into the community rather than merely tolerated or asked to remain silent about who they are.
• Affirming means the church actively recognizes and supports LGBTQ+ people as full participants — in worship, leadership, ministry, and belonging.

AWAB summarizes this as being and becoming "Welcoming and Affirming of all people regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation." The scope matters: the commitment is not limited to attendance. It extends to the roles and relationships that make up congregational life.

How this relates to Baptist tradition

Baptist life is largely congregational, so individual churches discern their own positions rather than receiving them from a single authority. That structure is why a Welcoming & Affirming identity is something a congregation adopts for itself, and why AWAB works across several levels at once — "as individuals, congregations, regional groupings and as a national body."

AWAB frames the work theologically rather than only as policy. It describes advancing "the Radical Welcome and Love of God in Jesus Christ through being the Ministry of Reconciliation and building up the Beloved Community where all will be one." In plain terms, the language of Radical Welcome signals a welcome that goes beyond politeness to reshape the community, and Beloved Community signals a goal of unity across differences.

What AWAB does to help churches

AWAB's stated mission combines advocacy, education, and faith-based justice. For a church considering or deepening this identity, that translates into several kinds of support:

• A national network and voice for LGBTQ+ and allied Baptists, so congregations are not working in isolation.
• Educational and advocacy resources, including commentary on how language and ministry practices affect LGBTQ+ people in churches, seminaries, and Christian communities.
• Publications and reflection, such as the bi-monthly Welcoming Spirit newsletter, which covers themes like legacy, faithfulness, and what comes next.
• Ways for individuals to sustain the work, including the Rainbow Circle membership program, which AWAB describes as sustaining compassion in faith communities.

Practical starting points

If you are trying to understand or engage with this movement, AWAB's site offers a few concrete entry points:

One useful observation from AWAB's own materials: words carry weight in LGBTQ+ ministry precisely because the people affected are already present — sitting in pews, studying in seminaries, and serving throughout Christian communities. That is a practical test for any congregation asking what its welcome actually means.