DAYTONA BEACH --- The congregation of the church formerly known for 20 years as Hope Metropolitan Community Church met Feb. 3 to re-establish itself as New Church Family, an independent Christian congregation welcoming everyone.
With 24 of its 28 members voting, the membership voted 24-to-0 to disaffiliate voluntarily from the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Church. After several months of conflict with the Fellowship's ruling Board of Elders, the membership took this step to reaffirm its commitment to local church self-government, including the right of the congregation to select its own pastor. The members believe independent status is the best way for now for the church to rebuild and expand its grassroots ministry to the greater Daytona Beach community. The church holds no animosity toward UFMCC and wishes it well as the Fellowship pursues a review of its own governance procedures.

The core beliefs of the church remain the same as before. We are an inclusive church, open to all, with a special outreach to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. We strive to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and serve an open Communion in His name.
The church has established a new Florida non-profit corporation under the New Church Family name. It has leased worship and office space at 815-B Beville Road Daytona Beach, and is holding worship every Sunday at 10 a.m. The Rev. B.J. "Beau" McDaniels continues as our pastor and spiritual leader, and four lay members join with her to form the church's board of directors. The church's new telephone number is
386-761-5565, and its new web site is www.newchurchfamily.org.

Contacts: Rev. Beau McDaniels, 386-761-5565
Tom Brown, publicity volunteer, 386-681-2292

NEW CHURCH FAMILY -- Frequently Asked Questions

Who are you? We are an independent Christian congregation that was officially established Feb. 3, 2008 after several months of discussion. Formerly, we were known for about 20 years as Hope Metropolitan Community Church until the congregation decided to become nondenominational.

Why the unusual name? The New Church Family name started as just a temporary corporate name for establishing our church legally as a tax-exempt organization. After considering and voting on more than a dozen names, the congregation decided they liked the New Church Family label the best. The “New” signifies we are a brand-new work, striving to take our Christian ministry to a higher and better level. “Church” signifies that, indeed, we are a church, not just a discussion group, social club or advocacy organization. We offer all the sacraments and spiritual support of a Christian church, and we are led by an ordained minister with nearly 40 years of pastoral experience. “Family” stands for the type of love and acceptance we endeavor to offer to all who come through our doors. You may look different and think differently from me, but you are still “family.” We may disagree at times, but we are “family.” And for the gay and lesbian community, “family” has a special meaning of acceptance and safety to be the person God made you to be. We realize our unorthodox name may puzzle some, so we recently added a tag line: “Christians welcoming and affirming all people.” For our entrance sign, we have shortened the phrase to “Welcoming and Affirming Christians” to describe ourselves. We hope this will help explain we believe in Jesus as our redeemer and that we are radically inclusive, with both gay and “straight” people working together to exemplify God’s love for humanity.

Where are you? We meet Sundays at 10 a.m. in leased space at 815-B Beville Road, Daytona Beach – the blue Copytronics office complex. We are ground-level with no stairs, easily accessible for those with wheelchairs, walkers or guide dogs. For out-of-towners, Beville Road is State Road 400, the last eastbound exit of Interstate 4. We are about a half-mile west of U.S. 1, also known as Ridgewood Avenue.

What is your service like? Our service is informal but follows the same outline found in most Christian churches – call to worship, opening hymn, Scripture reading, sermon, public prayers, collection, Communion, closing hymn and benediction. The Communion usually is served at the front of the sanctuary by the pastor and/or 3 or 4 members of the congregation. A wafer is dipped in grape juice and is placed in the recipient’s mouth or handed to the person as they prefer, and a brief one-to-one prayer is said. Communion is served every week and is open to anyone who desires to receive it. Dress is casual. – t-shirts and shorts are fine. Members greet each other with handshakes or hugs, and are encouraged to voice special praises or concerns during the time of public prayer.

You call your church gay-friendly. What does that mean? Many of our members are openly lesbian and gay, including our lesbian pastor, the Rev. Beau McDaniels. Some of our members, including church board members, are heterosexual. Some of our members are closeted gays or bisexual. We respect your privacy rights. Church attendance and membership status is confidential information – the sign-in sheet we circulate is just to help us keep track of attendance levels, and you are not required to give your full name and address information. We do not identify church members and we do not sell mailing lists to outside parties. We do not inquire about anyone’s orientation, but we do offer support and counseling for those struggling with “coming out” or confusion about their sexual identity. We also actively support gay community projects, such as PrideFest.

What is your theology? We call ourselves Christian and believe that God took human form in Jesus Christ to show us how to love one another and to lead us to eternal life. We come from a variety of denominations, and some of us have had no previous affiliation. Each person is encouraged to work out their own beliefs through prayer and reading the Bible and applying it to their own life.

Besides worship, what other activities do you offer? From time to time, the church distributes food and clothing to the needy, helps members with special needs, and visits members who are hospitalized or housebound. Social events include occasional theater and movie outings, house parties, lectures, picnics and the like. Members with musical talent are encouraged to offer a solo at service. (Currently, we do not have a choir or music director, but that is one of our goals.) Once a month, the church has a potluck lunch immediately following service.

How do I become a member? Newcomers usually attend several services and then make a decision about strengthening their commitment through membership. That can be done through a transfer of membership from another church or by attending a membership class led by the pastor. Worshippers also can choose to be “friends” of the church – they fully participate in all church activities and discussions but do not have a voting right at business meetings. Speak to the pastor if you are interested in membership.

What does it cost? Not a penny, but members are asked to contribute their time, talent and funds as God leads them. Scripture lays out 10 percent as our obligation and we encourage members to strive toward that goal. Donation information is compiled confidentially for those who wish to claim a charitable income-tax deduction.