ONA Coalition Recognizes Long-Time CHHSM Advocates and LGBTQIA+ Allies

The UCC’s Open and Affirming Coalition Annual Gathering was held Sept. 19-22, 2024, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and included a gala evening of celebration. Honored during the presentations were two long-time UCC clerypersons who are CHHSM advocates and LGBTQIA+ allies.

The honorees were the Rev. Beth Long-Higgins, M.Div., CHHSM board member and vice president of engagement, and director of the Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging, United Church Homes; and her spouse, the Rev. Dr. Dave Long-Higgins, conference minister of the UCC’s regional Heartland Conference. Each received the Coalition’s Courage Ally Award. The awards were presented by the Rev. Dr. Katrina Roseboro-Marsh, executive director of the Coalition.

“The award was very much a surprise,” said Beth Long-Higgins. “I do this work, not for accolades or acknowledgment, but as a legacy to my two great aunts, who were very much a part of our extended family. Both were retired teachers from before I was born. The nature of their relationship was a secret until after their deaths, when their love letters were discovered. I knew them to be courageous and loving to me as a young child. I now have a better idea of the challenges they faced throughout their lives in order to keep their authentic selves safe. I know that, in spite of those risks they faced, they were faithful and loving and remarkable women.”

For Dave Long-Higgins, the award was humbling. “We were both humbled by the recognition of something we have always understood to be the call of Christ to love all,” he said. “So many in the LGBTQIA+ community have been our teachers about what agape love should look like. We are indebted to so many dear friends in this wide community and find that any work we do is simply an expression of gratitude for their many gifts to us.”

The evening, which included a powerful keynote address by the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, general minister and president of the UCC, was an inspirational tribute to the ongoing work of the Coalition. In addition to the Ally Award, two other awards were presented: the Courage Award to the Rev. Carmarion Anderson, and the Rainbow Award to Jeannette Mott Oxford.

Beth Long-Higgins further reflected on her commitment to being an ally in her role with CHHSM member United Church Homes. “It is truly a privilege to work at United Church Homes,” she said, “where I can continue to engage in this ongoing commitment to ensuring that older LGBTQIA+ individuals can flourish in our communities.”

Dave Long-Higgins expressed gratitude for the many teachers along the way. “Our deepest learning has come from being entrusted with the sacred stories of folks who became our dear friends,” he said. “What a blessing to have such partners to help us grow in our faith. Any voice we have offered is simply a joining in the sacred chorus of Christ taught to us by them.”

Prior to the gathering, a pre-conference institute was held Wednesday, Sept. 18, co-led by the Rev. Dr. Zaria Davis, CHHSM engagement coordinator, who presented on self-care and wellness practices; the Rev. Derek Terry, pastor of St. Peter’s UCC in Cincinnati and program director for the Coalition; and the Rev. Tana Roseboro Marsh, an educator specializing in students with disabilities, and reading instruction.

Through a blend of theological reflection, practical strategies, and personal observations and storytelling done by the presenters and attendees, the institute fostered dialogue and learning as participants engaged in open-hearted conversations, challenged assumptions, and left empowered to create lasting change.