Category: Ally Narrative
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Hey, Nazarenes! Why Can’t Everyone Be in Your Big Tent?
For a denomination that proclaims the Holy Spirit moves among them, there doesn’t seem to be room for the revelation of the Holy Spirit to queer Christians and their allies.
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Be Careful Who You Choose to Exclude, They Might be Someone You Love
The Nazarene Church chooses to view some difficult issues with grace, liberty and charity, but with regard to full LGBTQ+ inclusion, she refuses to offer the same grace, liberty and charity.
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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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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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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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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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Judging the Fruit
The Church of the Nazarene’s fruit produced by our attitude toward the LGBTQ+ community is rotten; it is time to examine ourselves.
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The Spirit Transforms
The Church of the Nazarene must stop hurting people due to poor theology and irresponsible scriptural interpretation. May they return to being the loving, holy people God has called them to be.
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I’ll Love You…IF
Judgment and condemnation emerges from isolation and ignorance and understanding and empathy come from proximity.
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To Love or Not to Love: That is the Nazarene Question
I have something to say about God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Actually, it’s about God and every act of every day we live.