Rev. Ken Orth to be Presented the Open Door Award
The award recognizes decades of Rev. Orth’s healing ministry, radical welcome, and commitment to God’s inclusive love.
Old South Church in Boston will present the Open Door Award to the Rev. Dr. Ken Orth during Festival Worship on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 11 a.m. The award honors Rev. Dr. Orth’s lifelong commitment to inclusive love and his decades of ministry creating sacred spaces for healing, prayer, and belonging.
Ordained in 1976, Orth became a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors in 1980. Raised in South Dakota in the United Church of Christ (UCC), his faith journey has been shaped by a vision of God’s healing love for all people. From 1993 to 2026 he led Healing Worship at Old South, a ministry that began in 1989 as an HIV/AIDS prayer group and continues today as a welcoming community for all who seek prayer, companionship, and support.
Healing Worship began when an HIV-positive church member asked for a place to pray with fellow congregants at a time when stigma and rejection often left people affected by HIV/AIDS isolated from their churches, families, and communities. Old South associate minister Arlene Nehring and church deacon Jim McDonnel helped establish the group as a witness to God’s unconditional love. What began as a small, confidential gathering has grown into a community that accompanies people through life’s joys, struggles, grief, and loss.
Today, Healing Worship continues to offer a safe and confidential space where people can share their stories, listen to one another, and experience the power of prayer and community. The ministry recognizes that healing takes many forms: finding hope amid despair, companionship in suffering, and peace in the face of death. Rev. Orth’s faithful pastoral care makes clear to all people that they are beloved children of God, in whom God delights.
Established in 2014, Old South’s Open Door Award celebrates individuals who make significant contributions to creating inclusive and equitable spaces for marginalized communities. The award takes its inspiration from the inscription above the portico of the church’s 1875 National Historic Landmark building: “BEHOLD, I HAVE SET BEFORE THEE AN OPEN DOOR,” from the Book of Revelation.
Rev. Orth’s own history with Old South reflects the spirit of the award. In 2004, the year Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage, he and his longtime partner, George Paoluicci, were joyfully married at the church. Their life together continues to bring new surprises of grace, healing, and love. Orth enjoys poetry, comedy, singing, and exploring new places with George. As he puts it, gratefulness abounds.
In honoring Rev. Orth, Old South celebrates a person and a ministry that put radical welcome into practice, offering a place where people are met with compassion and reminded that they are beloved children of God.
EVENT DETAILS
What: Open Door Award presentation to the Rev. Dr. Ken Orth
When: Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 11 a.m.
Where: Old South Church in Boston, 645 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116