{"id":29636,"date":"2025-10-29T11:10:32","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T15:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=29636"},"modified":"2026-01-15T10:53:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T15:53:46","slug":"texas-umc-church-paints-rainbow-steps-in-defiance-of-governors-order-calls-it-sacred-resistance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2025\/10\/texas-umc-church-paints-rainbow-steps-in-defiance-of-governors-order-calls-it-sacred-resistance","title":{"rendered":"Texas UMC Church Paints Rainbow Steps in Defiance of Governor’s Order, Calls it ‘Sacred Resistance’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Oak Lawn United Methodist Church \/ Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A United Methodist congregation in Dallas that painted its front steps in rainbow colors in defiance of an executive order from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will now be allowed to keep the installation in place for the next three years after receiving an unexpected approval from city planners.<\/p>\n

Oak Lawn United Methodist Church first painted its entrance steps last October as what the congregation called an act of \u201csacred resistance\u201d after Abbott ordered cities to remove political or activist symbols from public spaces, including artwork on crosswalks and streets. In a statement at the time, the church argued that faith requires speaking out: \u201cThe governor may remove a rainbow from a roadway \u2014 but he cannot erase the image of God in God\u2019s people.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rainbow steps quickly became a visual rallying point for members of the local LGBT community and progressive Methodists. The church, which describes itself as a \u201cReconciling congregation,\u201d affirms LGBT-identified people and their families and says it is committed to values of inclusion, social justice, and hospitality.<\/p>\n

On January 5th, the Dallas Landmark Commission voted to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness, clearing the way for the church to retain the rainbow steps as a temporary art installation for three years. City staff recommended approval, noting the work is temporary, reversible, and widely viewed as a source of community pride. A task force subcommittee had previously recommended denial based on historic district code requiring matching paint colors.<\/p>\n

The move was significant because Oak Lawn UMC\u2019s building is a historic landmark. With more than a century of worship at its current site, the Gothic-influenced brick church was recognized with a State Historic Marker in 1974, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, and formally designated a Dallas Landmark in 1984. Exterior alterations on such buildings normally require rigorous review.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the January 5th hearing, Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison reiterated the church\u2019s theological rationale for the display. \u201cSilence is not neutral,\u201d she said. \u201cPainting our steps in the colors of the rainbow is a visible witness to the gospel we preach \u2014 that every person is created in the image of God and worthy of safety, dignity, and belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n

The church\u2019s decision to publicly challenge the governor\u2019s order was consistent with its broader advocacy. Oak Lawn UMC operates what it calls a Sacred Resistance ministry and is currently led by three LGBT-identified pastors. The church also provides community outreach services including meals for the homeless, food pantry access, and a clothing closet that supplies free garments, including so-called \u201cgender-affirming\u201d clothing for individuals who identify as the opposite sex.<\/p>\n

In recent years, the congregation has also clashed with denominational leadership. In 2022, Oak Lawn UMC made headlines after appointing two LGBT-identified pastors without authorization from the North Texas Conference of the UMC, an act of protest amid wider denominational disputes over sexuality and clergy ordination.<\/p>\n

For now, however, the rainbow installation will remain \u2014 a symbolic victory for the church and its supporters. And while Abbott\u2019s directive sparked the original confrontation, Oak Lawn\u2019s pastors insist the deeper issue is theological rather than political.<\/p>\n

\u201cFaith is not silent in the face of harm,\u201d the church\u2019s statement declared last fall. With the city\u2019s approval now secured, those steps \u2014 and that message \u2014 are not going anywhere anytime soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A United Methodist congregation in Dallas that painted its front steps in rainbow colors in defiance of an executive order from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will now be allowed to keep the installation in place for the next three years after receiving an unexpected approval from city planners. Oak Lawn United Methodist Church first painted…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":29639,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nTexas UMC Church Paints Rainbow Steps in Defiance of Governor's Order, Calls it 'Sacred Resistance'<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Dallas UMC church paints rainbow steps, calling it "sacred resistance" to Gov. 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