Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) were founded by Rev Troy D. Perry in 1968. This Fellowship of Churches plays a vital role in addressing the spiritual needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community around the world. For those of us who were raised in a religious atmosphere, homosexuality was usually associated with shame and guilt. As a result, many of us were cut off from the spiritual dimension of our lives. Metropolitan Community Churches provide an opportunity to explore a spiritual experience that affirms who we are. We find great truths in the religious tradition, and we find that our encounter with God is transformational and healing. We have seen how people have been changed by this experience. Quite simply, God makes a difference in people's lives. We experience our communities of faith as places of healing and hope, places of reconciliation with family, with self-esteem, and with individual spirituality.