Submitted by Kyle Coffman, Communications & PR Coordinator, UMC of Palm Springs
Palm Springs, CA – The United Methodist Church of Palm Springs (UMCPS) joyfully celebrated the 2025 Palm Springs Pride season this November, a month marked by community connection, compassionate service, and a major honor for one of our own.
UMCPS is delighted to announce that Pastor Jane has been awarded the 2025 Palm Springs Pride Spirit of Stonewall Friend of Pride Award, recognizing her dedication to the LGBTQ+ community and her deep commitment to social justice and inclusion. Since her arrival in 2018, Pastor Jane has been a vibrant and humorous presence in ministry, bringing people together through storytelling, compassion, and courageous advocacy. She played a key role in organizing the Stonewall 50th Anniversary Observance and the Interfaith PRIDE Shabbat, fostering bridges between the church and the wider Palm Springs community. Under her leadership, UMCPS has continued to grow as a spiritual home where all means all.
Palm Springs Pride weekend took place November 8-9, 2025 and was equally energizing for the congregation. More than 250 visitors stopped by the UMCPS booth to learn about our inclusive community. Volunteers distributed over 400 handouts, along with stickers, prizes, glitter blessings, and heartfelt moments of connection. Thirty-five individuals signed up to receive more information about UMCPS, reflecting expanding interest in our ministries and message of radical welcome. During the festival, our booth hosted a Drag Bible Hour with community drag queen, Mia Doll Beverly Hillz, who read children’s Bible stories to visitors and drew an enthusiastic crowd. After the event, one attendee shared how meaningful it was to see the church make real efforts toward healing, especially for those who grew up in the UMC and experienced hurt. Even small moments like this can have a powerful impact, showing queer and trans people that they are fully welcomed and embraced, and reminding us that the walls we’ve long hoped to break down are truly beginning to fall.
UMCPS was also honored to serve among the volunteers at the Youth Zone, coordinated by Safe Schools Desert Cities. Church volunteers helped serve lunch and shared information about UMCPS’s Q ArtPass program, which provides free access for queer youth and allies to artistic, cultural, and performance events throughout the Coachella Valley.
“I’m so thrilled to live in a community and pastor a congregation where ‘coming out of the closet’ to claim who you really are and the beautiful child God created you to be is not only accepted, but deeply valued,” says Pastor Jane. “We all need to ‘come out’ of our falsehoods and in so many ways. It’s great to be surrounded by so many neighbors who courageously and joyfully show us how it’s done!”
The United Methodist Church of Palm Springs remains committed to fostering an inclusive, affirming, and justice-seeking community year-round.
