Oasis Commission
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The Oasis Commission is a ministry of the Episcopal Church to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) persons.
The first Oasis group met at All Saints Church, Hoboken, in 1990, while the Episcopal Diocese of Newark was under the direction of Bishop John Shelby Spong. At this time, making gay and lesbian people feel welcome in churches was the exception, rather than the rule. The Oasis provided a "safe space" for them to worship together, as well as social events, educational opportunities, etc.
Since that time the climate within the diocese has become much more welcoming, and today there are many welcoming congregations that contribute financially and spiritually to the work of the Oasis. Oasis works alongside the much larger IntegrityUSA, a national group which was founded by Louie Crew in 1974.
In addition, there are OASIS ministries in the Episopal Diocese of California (San Francisco), Michigan (Ann Arbor), Missouri (St. Louis), and New Jersey (Trenton). Each group operates similarly but independently.
