A letter to members, meet the nominee and online voting
>>Use this form to vote online.<<
Members should have received this year’s election information by email. Your voting key is your last name and city name with no spaces. Capitalization does not matter. If you are a current member and have questions about the 2021 Council Election, please email alliance@disciplesallianceq.org.
Not sure if you’re a member with AllianceQ? Renew or become a member here. (Every contribution initiates a membership. Thank you for your support in this way and in the many ways you show up for and support this ministry!)
AllianceQ Members,
Guided by our mission to set a place at the table for persons of all gender expressions and sexual identities, we are learning to listen deeply to the stories of our siblings and thinking critically about whose voices are missing or need to be amplified. AllianceQ issued a call for leaders this summer. As an organization, we have been examining and will continue to examine our identity and practices so that we can imagine deeper and wider ministry—so that the next chapter of our collective story is brighter and more complete.
The Council of the Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance is a leadership team of 8-12 members. As a current member with the Alliance, you are invited to participate in the Fall 2021 Council Election. With confidence in their unique perspective and gifts for this ministry, we present Jacob Vartan as a nominee for the AllianceQ Council.
On this page, you will find a greeting from the nominee and a link to the electronic voting ballot. Please vote by October 4. If you are part of a couples’ membership, please submit your votes on a single ballot. We encourage you to read about the nominee and celebrate with us how the Spirit is at work through our current Council and our prospective nominee.
Join us for learning and fellowship. Join us in prayer and action. We are praying for you. Thank you for being a part of the story as we live into God’s story of love and grace.
Meet Our Nominee
Jacob Vartan (he/she/they)
Greetings and salutations,
My name is Jacob. I am a 43 year old non-binary member of the First Christian Church of Sacramento in the sunny state of California. I am originally from the southern part of the state but have called the northern part my home for over 20 years. I am blessed to live with my partner Lance and his mother Pamela. Our home is filled with the joyous sounds of three Boston Terriers: Minnie, Winston, and Bailey.
All of these things make it sound like I have an absolutely charmed life. The fact is that today I do. However, if you would have met me seven years ago my life would have looked very different. Addiction is an insidious disease that took me down a very dark path. From the age of 15 to the age of 35 I struggled with who I was, who I chose to love, and my place in the church. Through hard work and a 12 step program I was not only given the gift of sobriety I was also given the gift of God’s grace.
These are a few of the reasons I want to work with AllianceQ. A platform such as this can give me the opportunity to reach out to my brothers and sisters who are struggling to find their place in the church and let them know that their struggle is real and their experiences are valid. More than that I want to give them a voice. I believe that God blessed me with the experiences I have had so that I may be able to carry the message of redemption.
From the Nominations Team: “We are grateful for Jacob’s passion for equity and inclusion work and his ability to ‘ask the right questions’ in order to facilitate fruitful discussions. Jacob brings decades of managerial and organizational experience, all of which are incredible assets to the AllianceQ Council.”
Online Voting
Affirm the work and selection from our nominations team or list a write-in candidate. Write-in candidates must be current members of the Alliance.