Welcome!

Welcome to the website of the Albany Confessing Clergy.  It contains our confession of belief, drafted on January 22, 2008, in Albany, NY, and the actions that have proceeded from it.

If you have questions or comments about this material, please email us.


Who We Are

You can find out more information about our group on the "Our Story" page.





The Albany Confession of 2008

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called by God in these dangerous times to hold fast our confession of hope, to affirm our core beliefs, to confess our own sinfulness, to reject false teachings, and let the church and the world know where we stand and what we resolve to do.

Therefore:
  • We affirm that we are called by God to speak out about critical matters of humanity, justice, and spiritual integrity in a conflicted and confused day.
  • We affirm that God is calling us to follow Jesus Christ as a light to the nations and, in his name, to stand up for social justice and stand against all forms of oppression.

  • We affirm and acknowledge that the results of our confession and actions are not in our hands and that we trust and exult in the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us to a new day and make what we do and say what God wills.

We also confess who we really are:
  • We confess and acknowledge that we do not stand alone, that we do not pretend to know all that is good and right, that other believers may chose other paths.
  • We confess that we have not always followed Jesus Christ faithfully, that we sometimes run Jonah-like from his commands, that we have failed to do what should be done, and have done things which ought not to have been done, and that we constantly need to examine ourselves and ask forgiveness.

Nevertheless, as part of the forgiven company of believers, we resolve to:
  • Follow the One who embraces all nations and peoples in love and to obey the teachings of Jesus Christ in regard to universal civil and human rights.

  • Love all of our neighbors in need and practice love of enemies.  Be peacemakers and reject the use of violence and warfare as instruments of national policy.

  • Support all efforts to reduce conflicts through communication, diplomacy, and mediation rather than through confrontation, violence, armed conflict, or preventative attacks.

  • Affirm all members of the human community and acknowledge sexual orientation and gender identity as gifts from God.

  • Be in dialogue and take cooperative action with ecumenical and interfaith partners.

  • Be diligent stewards of God’s creation and support eco-justice for all people of our one planet.

  • Work for economic justice in our own communities and for all of God’s children throughout the world.

  • Reject and resist those forces which use torture, intimidation, economic pressure, psychological warfare, or other forms of violence to extract information or violate fundamental human rights.

With an urgency born of hope,
we pray that God will give us strength to speak
the truth with boldness,
and invite all who share our confession
to return to the unity of justice, hope, and love.

Signed by The Albany Confessing Clergy, January 22, 2008