** Gratitude Abounds after Nashville & Synod 2026
------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,

I’m writing from our new home in a suburb of the City of Rochester, New York. My wife, Cameron and I returned from Tennessee and plunged right into our move, and as I continue to unpack my office and fiddle with various projects, I’m excited for this new chapter in my life and the life of Room for All!


Times are overwhelming, and we’re up against so much, I know. You’re here, and I’m here, and we’re here together. Whatever your capacity, know that every action you take, every prayer for the good of all that you uplift and every conversation you have to build up another person matters!

With your support, our Drive Us to Synod Campaign was fully funded. While our plans for our Synod Saturday Social went awry due to weather, we were still able to connect and share the good food made for our gathering by the incredible Erika (pictured below on the far left) with unhoused people sheltering from the storm.


32 people came from the Synod Hotel to McKendree United Methodist Church to worship with us on Sunday afternoon, and we were blessed with an inspiring message about perseverance– Keep on Keeping on– from Rev. Dr. Denise Kingdom as well as with incredible music led by Board Member and our gracious host, Rev. Jeremy Simpson. These moments, and every conversation I had with people willing to speak with this queer and pleasant stranger made all the travel through red states worthwhile.

Inclusion in the Reformed Church in America has made incredible progress, in terms of race, ethnicity, ability and sex. The genuine nature of emphatic expressions of this Christ-like welcome fall flat, however, by the intentional leaving out of people of different sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions. I felt that in the spaces I visited, where there were people who shook my hand, and people who wouldn’t look me in the eye.


Day one, the General Synod participated in another training on equity-based hospitality and Revelation 7:9, the spirit of welcome. Excellent statements against the false doctrine of Christian Nationalism and the actions of immigration enforcement were approved with stunning margins that speak clearly to the embodiment of justice and compassion in the Reformed Church in America. I applaud Synod for these actions, as well as the addition of a workshop about Spiritual Abuse, and again I must say how incomplete that compassionate care is when an entire community that exists across all of those intersections is left unmentioned.


Correspondence is a major function of my role as Room for All’s solo employee. Whether it’s a personal subject, a resource not easily found or a deep question about belonging, I do my best to answer every email and letter personally. I’ll admit that I am stumped when people ask me about why anyone should stay or join the Reformed Church in America when the denomination’s position is one of exclusion or, at best, can be interpreted as intentional silence in the face of anti-LGBTQIA+ hatred. Choosing an inclusive space is often the right choice.


That’s a struggle I am facing with my recent move. There isn’t a welcoming and inclusive RCA or CRC church near me. While I would prefer to find fellowship in a Reformed church, it’s also important that I belong to a church that will welcome my wife as my spouse and allow me to use my gifts and follow my callings. I pray I might yet find an RCA church near me that would give me the welcome I have felt at Marble Collegiate, First Reformed Church of Little Falls, Hope Church, or Old Dutch Church, just a few of the RfA congregations who have opened their doors to me.


What I can say is this: we will keep bringing the conversation about truly including LGBTQIA+ Christians up. “Keep on keeping on,” right Rev. Dr. Denise Kingdom? Behind the scenes, exciting partnerships have been made, and our unification with All One Body brings the work of Room for All into new light. We’re already planning for June 2027, and setting down dates for gatherings and programming through the second half of 2026. Thank you for all the ways you make this ministry of full welcome possible.
I heartily concur with Rev. Sarah Palsma, whose Presidency led Synod 2026 when she said that “God is not finished with the RCA.” The church will always be a beautiful work in progress, as people strive together to be the body of Christ in the world. Christ calls us by our names and holds the truths of who God made us to be in loving acceptance.


Yours in Christ,

Mitchel Leet (he/him)
Executive Director


P.S. A week from tomorrow on July 29, 2026, I am the guest on our sibling organization LOVEboldly’s podcast, Coming Out Christian ([link removed]) . You can find all the listening options on their website at [link removed]


Our new website is coming along, and we will be thrilled to share it with you soon! Thank you for your continued patience during this process. You can reach us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Connecting%20with%20RfA) for resources and support during our rebuild.
Make a Gift as RfA Enters Our Next Chapter ([link removed])


** How did you Party & Protest this Pride?
------------------------------------------------------------
As you reflect on June 2026, we want to hear about your Pride Month celebrations and actions. Reach out to Mitch at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Pride%202026) to share photos and updates from your rostered church and community!

============================================================
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Link ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])
** YouTube ([link removed])
Copyright © 2026 Room for All, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up for the RfA newsletter on our website. For more frequent updates, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. If you no longer wish to receive these updates, please click the unsubscribe link.

Our mailing address is:
Room for All
PO Box 66022
West Des Moines, IA 50265
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.
Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
[link removed]