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The End of the Othering
Nazarene refusal to affirm the LGBTQ+ community is unscientific, based on eccentric biblical interpretation, motivated by homophobic instincts, and destructive of families. It’s immoral.
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An Open Letter to My Church Family
An open letter of how one Christian lesbian has used the Word to fully embrace herself, and her challenge to the Church of the Nazarene.
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They Are Not Hurting Anyone, We Are Hurting Them
After wrestling, studying, meeting, praying with, fearing, and listening to LGBTQ people, I realized they are not hurting anyone. We are hurting them. And we are the Church.
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Engaging a Changing Culture: A Sociological Analysis
The dramatic changes in attitudes toward LGBTQ people require the Church of the Nazarene to reconsider the denominational stance in order to reach young people, connect to the broader faith community, increase its ministry outreach, and support its young clergy.
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What the Denomination Said When I Asked If I Could Include LGTBQ+ People
I will never forget how uncomfortable I was as the church deemed me “out of alignment” for expressing my concerns about their (our) posture toward LGTBQ+ human beings. But even more compelling, I will never forget how comfortable I was with Jesus. In the end, the hardest/easiest decision I ever made was to follow Jesus…
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Disingenuous: An Open Letter to Jared Henry, the Friedemans, and the Holiness Partnership
Disingenuous That’s the most charitable word I have to describe your actions in recent days. Disingenuous. Quotes below characterize the actions to which I am referring. In your (Caleb’s) review of Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming, you say, “First, we should call Nazarenes who reject the denomination’s stance on…
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Liberation Toward a Fresh and Faithful Nazarene Theology
Being open and affirming of LGBTQ+ people opens up the possibility for a more vibrant and robust theology that is both faithful to the Wesleyan tradition and speaks from and to the lives of queer Christians.
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A Voice from the Global Church: Response to Rev. Brian Powell
By Néstor A. Hernández Zambrana “I disagree with the conclusion that to have this conversation is to cater to Western culture.” It is obvious the Church of the Nazarene is at a crucial point in its history. However, I continue to notice how the global reality of our denomination is weaponized by some within their…
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Why Don’t You Just Leave?
When I came out as a queer-affirming pastor, I was asked, “Why don’t you just leave the denomination?” But I’m affirming because I’m Nazarene, not despite it.
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My Interpretative History of Romans 1
For Nazarenes, the most important source of theological insight and guidance is scripture. This essay examines the issue of homoeroticism in light of scripture, particularly Paul’s words in Romans 1.