What is MCC?
Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church is a progressive community of faith, welcoming all people in the Colorado Springs area. The church is part of the larger MCC denomination founded in 1968 to meet the needs and challenges of people of faith who had been alienated by their own home churches because of their sexual orientation.
MCC has been deeply involved in issues of GLBTQI people, including the HIV/AIDS crisis, political challenges, and the rights of all people to live as God’s children and to love and marry according to their orientation. Our founder, Rev. Troy Perry, was one of the plaintiffs in the 2008 California case that made same-sex marriage legal in that state.
Our lives are a testimony to the liberating power of God’s love for us.
The blessing of God’s Spirit and the determined work of sexual minority Christians and their allies have made this tremendous growth possible, as we boldly proclaim what the Bible says and does not say about being a person of faith.
This is a place free of judgment, guilt, and shame. We believe the Bible is right when it teaches that we are to “build one another up in love.” In a world where we are too often being torn down or tearing others down, we do not need anyone else contributing to that hurt and pain—especially not our church!
We are a community of faith that has not forgotten how to work for love and justice.
A Brief History of Pikes Peak MCC
Pikes Peak MCC began on July 22, 1979 in the garage of Rev. Joyce Setala. As the congregation grew, the church moved its services to All Souls Unitarian Church where services were held on Sunday evenings for the next 20 years (1979-1999).
Rev. Bonnie Daniel followed Rev. Setala and served until 1984. Rev. Roger Webb, 1984 – 1987, was pastor when Pikes Peak MCC became a chartered church of the UFMCC denomination in November of 1985. Rev. Marion Harrison followed Rev. Webb as senior pastor from 1987 until January of 1994 when Rev. Elder Nori Rost assumed the senior pastor position. Rev. Rost led our church through a period of growth and influence in the community and throughout the denomination. In July of 1999, Pikes Peak MCC purchased its current building on 21st Street. It was called “The Miracle on 21st Street.”
In October of 2005, Rev. Rost announced her resignation and in January 2006, Rev. Dan Koeshall became our Interim Pastor. In March of 2008, our congregation unanimously voted to bring in Rev. Wes Mullins. He led our church through a dynamic period of tremendous growth and new life. Additionally, Rev. Wes spearheaded a capital campaign to reduce the mortgage on the church building. This capital campaign reduced the overall principal on the building by 30%. Rev. Wes Mullins served as the permanent pastor until November of 2013.
Rev. Diane Martin served as Gap Pastor from December 2013 through February 2014. In March of 2014 Rev. Jim Lynch was called as our Interim Pastor.
The church called Rev. Alycia Erickson as their settled pastor and she joined the staff in March 2015. She came to PPMCC after serving as a staff pastor at MCC Austin (Austin, TX) for over five years. During 2016, she is leading the church through a new strategic planning process to discern God’s calling as this particular community of faith in this particular place.
When it comes to the people of PPMCC, first and foremost, we are a community of faith—a group of people who worship and pray, learn and grow, and truly care about one another. We seek out meaningful ways to practice a relevant and honest spirituality. We seek God and learn together what it means to live an abundant journey.
We are progressive. That is, we look beyond literal understandings of scriptures. While rooted in the Christian tradition, we affirm many understandings of God and invite you to explore your own paths with us. We believe that God is known in an infinite variety of ways. Our lives are a testimony to the liberation of God’s love for us!