St. Petersburg’s Allendale United Methodist Church Credit: Photo by Dave Decker

St. Petersburg’s Allendale United Methodist Church is the epitome of safe harbor, and it celebrates 100 years of love, grace and advocacy this weekend.

The church, home of the Wedding Altar For All, believes that banning same-sex marriage is inconsistent with Christ’s teaching. Its leadership stands up for protesters fighting for housing, and opens its doors to anyone who wants to be embraced by the church’s mission to “affirm the sacred worth of all people” while striving to “practice Christ’s example of unconditional love without exclusion.

A homecoming worship will look back on Allendale’s history and paint a vision of the future—and comes just a few days before the church’s Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil on Wednesday.

There’s no cover for the 100th Anniversary Homecoming Worship happening Sunday, Nov. 17 at Allendale UMC in St. Petersburg.

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This article appears in Nov 7-13, 2024.