Chances are when a church dares to address the issue of homosexuality within its own ranks all hell is set to break loose – and it did in 1988 when the United Church of Canada released a statement on membership, ministry, and human sexuality, declaring its intention not to exclude people from ministry on the basis of sexual orientation.

The extreme inner turmoil and struggle the church endured in the 10 years preceding and following this decision is the focus of Alyson C. Huntly’s Daring to Be United – a collection of voices from across the United Church spectrum presenting members’ accounts of how they experienced The Issue (as it became known).

To her credit, Huntly is careful not to present the United Church as flawless or unanimous in its acknowledgment of homosexuals. Stories of conflict, confusion, as well as compassion abound – like the lesbian minister who slowly came out to her congregation only to discover support from the most unexpected quarters (a man in his 70s who, having heard the rumours about her, had always wanted to express his support but hadn’t felt “this was something” that could be voiced). Then there were the gay and lesbian ministers who were rejected by their congregations on the basis of “it’s nothing personal, but….” Or the church members who would otherwise have felt threatened by the prospect of gays in the belfry but were able to overcome their discomfort when presented with a face instead of an issue.

Page after page, the reader is struck by the gravity of the United Church’s decision, and its courage to persist despite its internal conflict and attendant upheavals, and despite the loss of about 25,000 members and the added pressure of national and world media attention.

Although the mild narrative does not really capture the commotion described throughout the book, the reader is left reeling at the deeply moving commitment to understanding that Daring to Be United bears witness to. Sometimes the final victory is in the attempt itself.