Editor’s Note: While I am Anglican, I have deep love and enduring support for the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) as a former licensed MCC leader. Active dialogue with this "queer to the core" organisation remains deeply important for the wider Christian family — not only to honour the pioneers who kept the faith alive when other doors were slammed shut, but also to learn from MCC’s decades of lived theology, radical hospitality, and prophetic witness.
Meet the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) — a bold, compassionate spiritual movement born in 1968 that championed LGBTQ+ inclusion long before it was popular. Founded by the Reverend Troy Perry in Los Angeles, MCC is widely recognised as the first denomination intentionally created to welcome and minister to LGBTQ+ people. We celebrate MCC's history, leadership, and unwavering commitment to love, justice, and belonging. Learn more on MCC's official website →
Metropolitan Community Church (MCC)
"The Lord was dealing with me. My previous church taught that you couldn't be both Christian and gay. After a suicide attempt while I was arguing with God that he couldn't love me, God spoke to me in a still, small voice: 'Don't tell me what I can do. I love you, Troy, and I don't have any stepsons or stepdaughters. Reread my Word.' And reread God's word I did."
— Rev. Troy Perry
When a close friend's arrest made Troy realise that "God cares" for everyone, he answered the call to create a church that truly welcomed LGBTQ+ people — and MCC was born in Los Angeles, sparking the global Metropolitan Community Churches movement.
Pioneering LGBTQ+ Inclusion Since 1968
From an intimate gathering of a dozen people on October 6, 1968, MCC has grown into a thriving global communion of dozens of congregations across the world. Under Troy Perry's visionary leadership, MCC became a visible, vocal sanctuary for LGBTQ+ believers — offering a spiritual home, pastoral care, and public witness across five decades of civil rights battles.
Shaping a Unique Path in Australia
Rev. Troy Perry first planted the seeds of MCC in Australia during a visit to Brisbane in 1974. On July 11, 1974, he and Rev. Lee Carlton arrived in Sydney, sponsored by the Gay Catholic group Acceptance. Just four days later, on July 15, 1974, they led the first MCC worship service in Sydney at Graeme Donkin's home on Scahill Street, Campsie — with twelve attendees forming the nucleus of the first MCC Study Group in Sydney.
Today, MCC maintains communities across Australia, including:
- CRAVE MCC — Paddington, NSW
- MCC Brisbane — New Farm, QLD
- MCC Good Shepherd — Granville, Western Sydney
- MCC Sydney — Petersham, NSW
Metropolitan Community Church Melbourne (MCC Melbourne) long stood as a symbol of sanctuary and advocacy. Founded in 1973 and officially chartered in 1974, the church was a cornerstone of the community — from its early days in Burnley to its years in Richmond — providing refuge for those seeking a welcoming and affirming altar. On December 12, 2021, MCC Melbourne formally concluded its congregational chapter, marking the close of an era after decades of vital service in Australia's spiritual landscape.
A new chapter in MCC's Australian journey began on August 27, 2023, when the Universal Church of Love — based on the Gold Coast in Queensland — affiliated with MCC, with Pastor Shane St Reynolds leading its inaugural service at Southport Uniting Church.
Today, Pastor Shane leads a close-knit circle of folk who gather primarily in person wherever he travels. While communication tools like WhatsApp are used sparingly for coordination, the heartbeat of this ministry remains face-to-face — simple, relational, and grounded in hospitality.
Embracing Diversity and Advocating Inclusion
MCC's historical significance lies in its status as the first denomination to formally recognise the spiritual lives and needs of LGBTQ+ individuals on a global scale. This theological foundation naturally compelled Troy Perry and subsequent leaders into active civil rights advocacy.
Diversity remains a hallmark of Metropolitan Community Churches. Member congregations span a wide theological spectrum, united by a commitment to grace and justice. This broad, inclusive identity continues to define MCC more than fifty years on.
A Spiritual Movement of Radical Hospitality
Although generally classified within the Christian tradition as a Protestant denomination, MCC frequently describes itself as a spiritual movement. Both heterosexual and LGBTQ+ individuals worship side by side, yet MCC holds a unique distinction: it is the only denomination worldwide founded and primarily sustained by LGBTQ+ people, embedding queer perspectives directly into its pastoral and sacramental life.
Ecumenical Engagement, Sacraments, and Governance
While the World Council of Churches recognises MCC as an Official Observer, local MCC congregations regularly participate in ecumenical partnerships and interfaith dialogues across the globe.
Central to MCC's worship are the historic ecumenical creeds (the Apostles' and Nicene creeds) alongside weekly Eucharistic celebrations featuring an open table: communion is extended to all people regardless of denominational background, baptism status, or identity. While faithful to Christian scriptures, MCC honors congregational autonomy concerning local liturgy and practice, resulting in a rich, diverse worship life.
Pioneering Queer Theology and Equal Leadership
MCC played an indispensable role in birthing modern queer theology and sanctifying same-gender relationships, officiating blessings and marriages decades before civil laws caught up. Furthermore, MCC early on broke down traditional patriarchal barriers, championing gender equality in ministry — exemplified by the tenure of Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, who served for a decade as the fellowship's Moderator.
"Call Me Troy": The Documentary
The acclaimed documentary "Call Me Troy" chronicles Rev. Perry's remarkable life as the founder of MCC. Beyond establishing the church, Rev. Perry made history by serving on the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, performing the first public same-sex wedding in the United States in 1969, and initiating legal action for marriage equality as early as 1970. Watch the documentary on YouTube →