{"id":1726,"date":"2026-04-15T13:21:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T18:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/warrens-voice.com\/?p=1726"},"modified":"2026-04-15T13:21:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T18:21:31","slug":"indianola-first-umc-building-a-rainbow-themed-playground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/warrens-voice.com\/?p=1726","title":{"rendered":"Indianola First UMC Building A Rainbow-themed Playground"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Indianola First United Methodist Church, a historic Indianola church<\/a> associated with pro-LQBTQ+ groups<\/a>, is building a playground<\/a> at their Ashland Avenue property. The playground will prominently feature a rainbow in its design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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First Indianola United Methodist Church<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

**Become a monthly donor for $10 or more and get EXCLUSIVE content!!!**<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Indianola First UMC has not expressly stated what the rainbow design is intended to communicate. They\u2019ve stated <\/a>that the design feature was suggested by a child of a committee member. What is clear is how this congregation often uses the rainbow symbol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rainbow has meant different things over time. Historically, the rainbow embodied the biblical account of judgment, salvation, and covenant found in Genesis 9<\/a>. However, for several decades, the rainbow has been the symbol of the LGBTQ+ movement, a movement Indianola First has allied itself with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Issues of human sexuality have been a major issue within the United Methodist Church for several years. After pro-LGBTQ+ elements took over many UMC institutions, many orthodox Methodist churches (perhaps as much as 25%) left the denomination.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indianola First United Methodist Church has strongly come out in favor of accepting LGBTQ+ practices in the church. Their website homepage <\/a>features rainbow colored doors. They are part of the Reconciling Ministries Network<\/a> which, \u201cis committed to intersectional justice across and beyond the United Methodist connection, working for the full participation of all LGBTQ+ people throughout the life and leadership of the Church.\u201d Indianola First describes itself as \u201ca reconciling congregation\u201d and flies rainbow banners during Pride Month.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From the Indianola First UMC website<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Methodist church has played a big role in Indianola\u2019s history. Indianola First UMC has one of the oldest and largest buildings in the city. Simpson College was founded as a Methodist seminary and is still formally connected to the UMC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, many conservative Methodists believe their leadership has betrayed them for a radical unbiblical and anti-Christian agenda. Is this rainbow-themed playground another reminder of that apparent betrayal? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Indianola First United Methodist Church, a historic Indianola church associated with pro-LQBTQ+ groups, is building a playground at their Ashland Avenue property. The playground will prominently feature a rainbow in its design. **Become a monthly donor for $10 or more and get EXCLUSIVE content!!!**<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,7,98,71],"tags":[211,210],"class_list":["post-1726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-indianola","category-religious-liberty","category-transgenderism","tag-lgbtq","tag-pride-month"],"yoast_head":"\nIndianola First UMC Building A Rainbow-themed Playground - Warren's Voice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Indianola First United Methodist Church, a historic Indianola church associated with pro-LQBTQ+ groups, is building a playground at their Ash\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/warrens-voice.com\/?p=1726\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Indianola First UMC Building A Rainbow-themed Playground - 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