ABOUT.

WHO IS ANC?

ANC is a progressive, affirming, gospel-centered community driven by inclusion and social justice. Many of us live in the Austin area, but many of us live around the country and around the world. 

We believe community is based on belonging, not beliefs. Beliefs will follow. Often. As will doctrines and dogmas and denominational distinctives. But not always. Many of us won’t end up believing the same things. And that’s ok. Unity requires a commitment to belonging not belief.

What holds our community together are the values we share, not our beliefs. So here’s what you need to know about us:

We value safety, authenticity, curiosity, courage, and engagement.

• When we’re doing things right, ANC is a safe place for you to heal and grow. 

• When we’re doing it right, we get to be authentic and real with one another, speaking only what we can say wholeheartedly.

• When we’re doing things right, we are driven by curiosity, not certainty.

• When we’re doing it right, ANC will have courage to name and address systems of injustice.

• When we’re doing things right, ANC is a community engaged in the work of love, both locally and globally.

VALUES EXPLAINED:

• Safety: We want this to be a place where you feel safe. Safe to show up completely, as you are, with no pretense or need to perform. (open/ecumenical posture)

• Authenticity: We want to be nothing more and nothing less than real and honest about who we are and who we’re not. (relationships)

• Curiosity: We embrace curiosity over certainty, believing curiosity to be the true mark of discipleship. This means we fully embrace doubt and disorientation as essential to faith and growth. (discipleship)

• Courage: We believe it will take courage to name and address systems of oppression. We hope to be a community known for our courage to engage real issues that impact people’s lives. (social justice)

• Engagement: We believe our role is to activate our community to engage the work of love, here, as well as around the world. (community engagement)

LGBTQ+ AFFIRMATION STATEMENT:

“We affirm that one’s gender identity, gender expression, and sexual/romantic orientation are not sins.

LGBTQ+ marriages, relationships and identities are also morally equivalent to heterosexual marriages, relationships, and identities, and therefore shall not be held to a different standard.

We affirm that God and the church blesses both non-LGBTQ+ unions and LGBTQ unions, without distinction.”

A lot of churches get really vague with their language regarding inclusion of LGBTQIA+ folks. “Welcoming” isn’t always truly welcoming and “affirming” can cause confusion if not explained.

We aren’t interested in confusing. Being welcoming and affirming is the bare minimum. So we asked our LGBTQIA+ members what was important to them when choosing ANC. Here’s what they said:

WE WANT:

• To feel safe and empowered while being fully, authentically ourselves.

• To be involved at any level (whether that’s attending, volunteering, leading, speaking/ teaching, etc.) without restrictions.

• To be part of a church where we have a voice and where we can start dialogues about the issues that matter to us.

• To have community support in the face of discrimination and oppression.

As a church, we vow to be that place, and to continue to evolve to meet the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community in Austin and beyond.

WHAT IS ANC?

We are a local/non-local urban congregation of the United Methodist Church, a fully inclusive and affirming denomination.

WHAT IS THE 04 CENTER? 

We’ve always been lovers of music at ANC. It’s what makes our city unique. So, in addition to Sunday services and other church events, our building serves as a world-class music venue called the 04Center.