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FOUNDRY'S STATEMENT OF CALL
We at Foundry are called by God
- to deepen faith through transcendent worship and challenging study,
- to create engaged community through inclusion and caring, and
- to transform the world through active service and prophetic leadership.
OUR KEY SCRIPTURE
One of the religious scholars came up...he put in his question: "Which is most important of all the commandments?"
Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."
Mark 12: 28-31, from The Message
STATEMENT OF RECONCILIATION
In 1995, Foundry became one of the first larger United Methodist
Churches to publicly affirm its commitment to the full inclusion
of all persons when it joined the Reconciling Congregation Movement.
Here is Foundry’s Statement of Reconciliation:
We, the friends and members of Foundry United Methodist Church,
hold deeply our commitment to help bring about a peaceful, loving,
just and accepting world. We are proud of our active, diverse congregation
and have seen how each person has graced our community with his
or her talents. We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in all.
We acknowledge our oneness with all of God’s creation and
invite gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons to share our faith, our community
life, and our ministries. We also affirm the same for all persons
without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation,
marital status, age, economic status, or physical or mental condition.
We seek to be an inclusive congregation, and we proclaim our commitment
to seek the reconciliation of all persons to God and to each other
through Jesus Christ.
As we journey toward reconciliation with all, we proclaim this statement
of welcome to all, including our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters:
God loves you and we love you, we affirm you, and accept you, we
treasure you. We welcome you.
At the same time, we recognize that there remain differences of
opinion among us on issues relating to sexuality. We do not seek
to erase our differences, but to journey together in faith toward
greater understanding and mutual respect.
In becoming a Reconciling Congregation we believe that we are being
reconciled to God and to one another.
FOUNDRY'S HISTORY
Originally located
in Georgetown and later at 14th and G, Foundry dedicated its first building in September
1815. Henry Foxall, a Methodist layman and influential businessman,
donated the land and building after his Georgetown iron foundry
survived the British attack on Washington in the War of 1812.
For almost two centuries, the church has been home to presidents,
members of Congress, and others in public service. President Abraham
Lincoln became a Life Director of the Methodist Missionary Society,
and President Rutherford Hayes attended Foundry nearly every Sunday
during his term. President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister
Winston Churchill attended a special service at Foundry on December
25, 1941. President William Clinton and his family attended regularly.
Foundry has long been active in mission, with work that mirrors
the humanitarian concerns of the times. In 1995, Foundry affirmed
publicly that it was a reconciling congregation, now one of nearly
200 United Methodist Churches in the Reconciling Congregation Movement.
A CARING COMMUNITY
Foundry United Methodist Church has been a spiritual leader in the nation’s capital for more than 186 years. In a city often characterized by transience and change, Foundry has remained a steadfast beacon — long recognized for its commitment to mission service, social justice, and reconciliation. Foundry’s ministers are viewed as models of influential and dedicated parish leadership. Distinguished by their scholarship, oratory, caring counsel, and deep commitment to Christian principles, they have extended the church’s reputation as a voice of conscience, reason, and hope for residents of and visitors to our city.
Located at 16th and P Streets NW in Washington’s Dupont Circle neighborhood — one mile north of the White House — Foundry is easily accessible by public transport. Get Directions!
CHURCH ORGANIZATION
Foundry is organizing itself as a congregation to respond to what God is calling us to do and be. As we worship and study, congregate, serve, and lead, we want to bear the fruit that John speaks of in the following passage. This passage instructs us to bear fruit based on the central commandment of loving one another.
John 15:16-17
I appointed you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that shall last; so that God may give you all that you ask in my name. This is my commandment to you: love one another.
As Foundry organizes for councils and ministry teams to bear fruit within the congregation and in the world, we need to keep Christ’s teachings at the center. As we commit to transcendent worship, challenging study, engaged community through inclusiveness and caring, active service, and prophetic leadership, we must base our choices of ministries on Bible study that reveals what God expects of us.
Ministry teams are the vibrant center of Foundry’s life. Ministry teams enact what God calls Foundry to do and be. Ministry teams can be instrumental, visionary, or both. They can fulfill a particular task or have a wide scope of responsibility. Every ministry team works with one of six councils responsible for visionary thinking and leadership of a particular area: Congregational, Worship, Mission, Discipleship, Fellowship, and Resources.
COUNCILS
All councils have the responsibility and freedom to lead in their area of responsibility. This charge means that each council continues to develop knowledge about its area, to think ahead about future needs, to allocate and reallocate resources among its ministry teams, and to communicate about its activities and plans to other councils.
Congregational Council - This Council is charged with overall long-term visioning for Foundry. In a process that includes the congregation and staff, it selects church-wide goals. Council members and at-large leaders who are responsible for Foundry's spiritual health and prophetic leadership.
Worship Council - This Council is the visionary thinking body for worship, doing strategic planning concerning all aspects of worship, including current services, potential services, elements of worship, and worship on recurring and one-time special occasions.
Mission Council - As the visionary thinking body for mission at Foundry, this Council does strategic planning to provide necessary ministry teams, coordinate work among ministry teams, and represent mission activities to the congregation and to the world.
Discipleship Council - This Council aids Foundry members in identifying and using their gifts and talents as they respond to God's call. It also plans activities and programs that help Foundry members, from young children through adults, develop their faith through challenging study.
Fellowship Council - As a visionary thinking body to develop fellowship at Foundry, this Council does strategic planning about ways that Foundry members work together to create an engaged community, where members accept and provide care for one another. It also reaches out to potential constituents of Foundry through a variety of strategies.
Resources Council - This Council is responsible for planning regarding Foundry's financial, human, and physical resources. It works in conjunction with the Congregational Council to allocate resources to Councils based upon church-wide goals and needs of the Councils and their ministry teams.
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