Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church Records

Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church was established in June 1981. The Northeast District of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) recruited Reverend Willie White to form an MCC congregation in the Rochester area. After moving to Rochester, Reverend White placed an advertisement in the Empty Closet, Rochester's gay and lesbian newspaper. John White attended the first orientation meetings at the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley in July 1981. Rev. White and John White obtained space for the congregation to meet at New Life Presbyterian Church.

The first worship service of the Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Rochester was held on August 16, 1981, with an attendance of 10 people. The first congregational meeting with 10 charter members was held in October 1981, where John White, Gail Seneca, and Larry Requa were elected as the first Board of Directors. The Northeast District designated the MCC of Greater Rochester as a study group (new work) of the UFMCC during its annual conference in October 1981. The first annual anniversary picnic was held in August 1982. Terry Keister became a member in February 1983 and was elected to the Board of Directors in November 1983. The year ended with 15 members.

In 1984, the church held a retreat in April and a four-day revival in July. In October 1984, Rev. White announced his resignation effective the following month. Terry Keister, John White, and Gail Seneca served on the pulpit committee along with Karen Hagberg and George Husson. The year ended with 18 members.

In April 1985, the congregation voted to change the name of the congregation to Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church. In June 1985, the congregation voted to call Reverend Cathy Elliott to serve as pastor. The congregation celebrated its 4th anniversary to coincide with Rev. Elliott's installation service in August 1985. In September 1985, Rev. Elliott started a monthly newsletter, originally entitled The Rising Son. In August 1986, Rev. Brent Hawkes of MCC Toronto served as the guest speaker at Open Arms's fifth anniversary picnic at Durand-Eastman Park. Rev. Hawkes held a church growth workshop in January the following year. Future board members Debbie Krusemark and Barb Crabtree became members of Open Arms in 1987. In November 1987, Open Arms launched a fundraising committee to purchase a building for the congregation. The year ended with 22 members.

In February 1988, Open Arms held its first annual AIDS Vigil of Prayer with The Right Reverend William George Burrill, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, and His Excellency, The Most Reverend Matthew Harvey Clark, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, serving as guest speakers and The Rochester Gay Men's Chorus performing at the vigil. In March 1988, Open Arms incorporated in New York State. Rev. Elliott co-founded the Greater Rochester AIDS Interfaith Network (GRAIN) the same month. In April 1988, Reverend Troy Perry, founder of the UFMCC, visited Open Arms. The year ended with 26 members.

In 1991, Open Arms reattained commission status within the Northeast District, John White retired from the Board of Directors, and the congregation moved to the Auditorium Center Building at 875 E. Main Street. The year ended with 19 members. In March 1992, Open Arms dedicated its new chapel, keyboard, and stained-glass window created by Marlene Conti. John White was re-elected to the board and Rev. Elliott received a full-time salary and contract later that year. In June 1993, Rev. Elliott launched the congregation's first cell group. In November 1993, Open Arms and Rev. Elliott received a proclamation from the City of Rochester. The year ended with 21 members.

In February 1994, the congregation voted to suspend its bylaws for one year to test a new consistory governing model proposed by Rev. Elliott, who announced her resignation in November of that year following a three-month sabbatical. Terry Keister was appointed as church administrator and named interim worship coordinator in late 1994. The year ended with 16 members.

In January 1995, the congregation voted to adopt updated bylaws and elected Barb Crabtree, Terry Keister, Lorraine Flood, and John White to serve on the Administrative Team, which would serve as the new governing body for Open Arms and lead the pastoral search team that same year. In November 1995, the congregation called Reverend Ron Helms as its third pastor. By the end of 1999, the congregation had 50 members.

In 2001, Open Arms celebrated its 20th anniversary with the Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson as the guest of honor. Over the next few years, the Reverend Elder Nancy Wilson, Reverend Elder Arleen Ackerman, Reverend Elder Diane Fisher, Reverend Dolores Berry, and Marsha Stevens came to visit Open Arms.

In June 2003, Reverend James Mulcahy, a former Hospice chaplain and member of Open Arms, was appointed interim pastoral leader. He transferred his credentials to UFMCC and was installed as the fourth pastor of Open Arms in August 1994. He served as pastor until his retirement in April 2012.

In 2006 following a successful capital campaign, Open Arms purchased its first building at 740 Marshall Road in the Town of Chili. The year ended with 75 members.

In June 2012, Reverend Thomas Decker was installed as interim pastor. In 2013, Open Arms sold its building on Marshall Road to move into the City of Rochester at 707 East Main Street. A grand opening was held at the new location in 2013 with Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, Moderator of the UFMCC, in attendance. Rev. Decker completed his contract in June 2014.

In March 2015, Brae Adams was installed as provisional pastor. In 2018, Open Arms moved to the ROC SALT (Rochester Serving and Learning Together) Mission Center at the historic Calvary St. Andrews Presbyterian Church at 68 Ashland Street in the South Wedge neighborhood. The congregation consisted of 60 members as of that year.

Throughout its operation, Open Arms was actively involved in ministries dedicated to serving the LGBTQ+ community, including relationship counseling and marriage services for same-sex couples, advocating for the Marriage Equality Act of New York State, and advocating for legal and social recognition of transgender individuals through the Transformative Ministry, which provided public education on trans-inclusive vocabulary and etiquette as well as holding clothing swaps and other events to support the local transgender and gender-expansive community. Open Arms partnered with numerous LGBTQ+ organizations in the Greater Rochester area including the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, AIDS Rochester, the Rochester CD Network, and ImageOut.

The congregation was also involved in social ministries, including hosting a food pantry, supporting the Rochester Mutual Aid Collective, offering short-term loans and grants through the DUO (Do Unto Others) Fund, hosting special programming, participating in rallies for human rights, and donating to children in need through school supply drives and the annual Angel Tree program to collect Christmas gifts for low-income families.

As a religious organization, Open Arms's programs included weekly worship with traditional and contemporary music, Sunday School, spiritual education, Lenten Bible studies, book discussion groups, prayer journals, and an annual Easter brunch. The congregation created scrapbooks to document, share, and remember the history of Open Arms MCC.

Membership declined rapidly during the Covid-19 pandemic for both the Open Arms and Cavalry St. Andrews congregations. Following the closure of Cavalry St. Andrews, the dissolution of ROC Salt, and the sale of the Ashland Street building in February 2022, Open Arms closed in April 2023.