Affiliated Organizations

Sunshine Cathedral is a progressive, inclusive church that is welcome and open to all people regardless of theological background, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, age, or ability.

At Sunshine Cathedral we believe that the Christian message, that is, the liberating, all-inclusive, loving message of Jesus Christ, is progressive, positive, and practical! Additionally, Sunshine Cathedral affirms 8 points of progressive Christianity as defined by The Center for Progressive Christianity: Progressive Theology, the Path of Jesus, Religious Pluralism, Inclusivity, Compassion, Non-dogmatic Spirituality, Community, and Social & Environmental Justice.

Sunshine Cathedral Memberships & Affiliations

We at Sunshine Cathedral are deeply ecumenical and have relationships that transcend denominational limits. Ours is a blended worship service on Sunday mornings and a variety of theologies are present in our congregation. We literally are connected with people of faith all over the world.

Sunshine Cathedral formerly was affiliated with The Center for Progressive Christianity (and continues to embrace the principles of Progressive Christianity) and the International New Thought Alliance (whose principles we also value). Sunshine Cathedral has explored affiliation with the Progressive Christian Alliance but no such formal affiliation has taken place so far.

GJI
Sunshine Cathedral is a committed partner and supporter of the Global Justice Institute, a ministry housed at MCC New York and led by the Reverend Elder Pat Bumgardner. GJI is active in areas of the world where LGBTQ are in frequent danger, such as Eastern Europe, East Africa, Pakistan, Malaysia, Cuba, and Jamaica.

MMBB
Sunshine Cathedral also participates in the Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board Pension Plan which serves the American Baptist Churches USA and the International Council of Community Churches.

Divine Science
Sunshine Cathedral and its religious education arm, The Samaritan Institute, are both institutional members of the Divine Science Federation International, representing communities that embrace the theology of Omnipresence and that practice affirmative prayer.

MCC
Sunshine Cathedral is a member of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) which was founded in 1968 as a safe spiritual home for LGBTQ people and their allies. Historically, MCC has also offered a faithful and affirming witness in response to HIV/AIDS and against misogyny in the world.

ICCC (ITripleC)
And Sunshine Cathedral is a member congregation of the International Council of Community Churches. The ICCC (“ITripleC”) is not a denomination but is rather a network of autonomous congregations committed to anti-racism work and ecumenical relationships. It was formed in 1950 when two community church organizations merged, becoming the largest interracial religious merger in US history at that time. And through the ITripleC, Sunshine Cathedral is connected with almost countless other communities and organizations:

The ICCC is made up of non-denominational churches, some parishes that are affiliated with one or two denominations, and there are various “Independent Catholic” (aka “Old Catholic” and/or “Independent Sacramental Movement”) churches and networks that are ICCC members. The Independent Catholic sibling churches within the ITripleC include ~ American National Catholic Church (about 12 parishes), Aquarian Catholic Spiritual Community, the Free Episcopal Church, the Communion of Synodal Catholic Churches (about 12 parishes), Apostles Anglican Church, Catholic Apostolic Church in North America (about 9 parishes), and the Apostolic Celtic Church. The Ecumenical Catholic Communion holds “special standing” in the ITripleC (about 35 parishes in 4 countries).

ICCC (ITripleC) is a member of Churches Uniting in Christ, which is an organization made up of 9 communions (ICCC, United Church of Christ, Moravian Church-Northern Province, Disciples of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church USA, and three Methodist denominations – Christian Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal, and African Methodist Episcopal Zion). CUIC also have missional partnerships with the United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

ITripleC is a member of Christian Churches Together which is made up of about 40 communions and service organizations, including Bread For the World, Sojourners, Habitat for Humanity, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Salvation Army, Eastern Orthodox churches, Baptist conventions, Mennonites, the Episcopal Church, and more.

ITripleC is a member of the National Council of Churches in the US which has about 40 member communions, including Methodists (UMC, CME, AME, AMEZ), United Church of Christ, Swedenborgian Church of North America, Quakers, Reform Church in America, PCUSA, ELCA, the Episcopal Church, Baptists (Progressive National Bpts, Alliance of Bpts, American Baptist Churches USA, National Bpts of America, NB USA, & National Missionary Baptists), Church of the Brethren, Community of Christ (formerly known as Reorganized Latter Day Saints), Polish National Catholic Church, and Eastern Orthodox churches.

ITripleC is a member of the World Council of Churches which has 348 member communions from all over the world.

ITripleC endorses the following seminaries: Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School, Hartford Seminary, Harvard Divinity School, Howard University School of Divinity, Interdenominational Theological Center, Pacific School of Religion, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, University of Chicago School of Divinity, Vanderbilt University Divinity School, and Yale Divinity School.

In addition to these many exciting affiliations and relationships, ITripleC also includes the Martin L. King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College as a ministry with special standing.

At this time, there seems to be about 162 ITripleC churches/missions in 12 or so countries. There are a few New Thought and New Age centers in ITripleC, and at least one Unitarian Christian church in ITripleC, but the primary theologies/worship styles currently represented in ITripleC seem to be: Evangelical, Independent Catholic, and Progressive Christian/Protestant.