During his trial, Jesus was put in a difficult position by Pilate. The authorities that condemned him saw Jesus as a mere man, but he was so much more. Pilate wanted Jesus to speak his truth, but Pilate had already judged his truth as a lie. He wanted Jesus to admit he was the Messiah to ridicule and punish him. Although he was killed in part for his honest response, Jesus’ answer has resonated with Christians for centuries: “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth …” (John 18:33–40).
“Finally!” was all my United Methodist friend had to text me when I asked how their General Conference was going. While I echo their relief, I know the recovery period for my LGBTQIA+ siblings is far from being final. Presbyterians stand as proof that the vote is sometimes the easiest part of change. As the leader of a ministry with over 90% LGBTQIA+-identifying members, I know a vote is one step of a long journey — one that began with fervent prayers for change. Not to change the Book of Order, but to change oneself. For every LGBTQIA+ person raised in the Christian faith, their journey of self-discovery includes years, often decades, of praying to God to change who they are.
The first of a two-part New Way conversation with the Rev. Elizabeth Edman, an Episcopal priest and the author of the 2016 book “Queer Virtue,” explores what being part of the queer community has taught Edman and can teach listeners about being faithful Christians.
“Welcoming all in the name of Christ” might be easy to write into a church’s mission statement, but the challenge comes when faced with living it out and extending a hand to those in the transgender community. An inclusive, loving welcome is possible, though, with education and courage to open up those sanctuary doors.
As part of the celebration of Pride Month, Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Christian Social Justice has launched a series called “Queering the Bible,” which will start with a 16-part study of the Gospel of Mark written by LGBTQIA+ leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and beyond. The series launched June 1 and continues through July 22.
Amid a rash of recent legislation “intended to criminalize the existence, presence and stories” of people in the transgender and LGBTQIA+ communities, a four-member panel convened on Saturday discussed, as host Adrian White said, “how we can create space and come together to have a conversation about what we can do in response.”
Two-thirds of the way through Wednesday’s session of CPJ Training, moderator Christian Brooks of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Public Witness turned the conversation to today’s headlines.
The Rev. Dr. Mark Achtemeier, who a few years ago changed his view completely on whether to fully welcome LGBTQIA+ people into the life of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations and mid councils, including leadership, calls these Bible passages “The Clobber Texts.”
Oct. 17, the Rev. Brooke A. Scott was ordained and installed as the pastor at Church on Main, a Presbyterian congregation in Middletown, Delaware. A week later, the church was the target of some Twitter trolling by another pastor because of the Black Lives Matter and LGBTQIA+ Pride flags displayed on the front of the church.
