Tough Questions
- Is a person born lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT)?
- Does a person’s social environment affect their gender identity and/or sexuality?
- What is the journey like for LGBTQ+ people?
- Can people really change sexual orientation or gender identity?
- Has the Church loved the LGBTQ+ Community like God? Do we need to repent for how we treated the LGBTQ+ Community?
- How have the LGBT community and the Christian Church interacted with one another historically?
- How did the LGBTQ+ movement get to this level of social and political influence?
- Have sexual orientation change efforts harmed people?
- Can a person be both Christian and gay or Christian and trans?
- What is the basis for church attendance, membership, baptism, communion for LGBTQ+ people?
- How can churches have policies that honor all people from a variety of sexual orientations and gender identity?
- What does leadership in the Church look like for LGBTQ+ peoples?
- How can the Church be prepared for a move of God in the LGBTQ+ Community?
- As a Christian in a democracy, how should I vote?
- Can I support LGBTQ+ weddings through being a vendor, attending, or officiating them?
- How do I hold on to Scripture and still love people?
- How can I hold to my faith in Jesus and interact with LGBTQ+ peoples and others who have vastly different values and worldviews than me?
- How do I help congregants be both welcoming, loving, but also stay true to Scripture?
- Why should I care about the LGBTQ+ Community?
In my opinion, there are a ton of challenging conversations around Christian faith and the LGBTQ+ Community. Questions like those mentioned above, have difficult and complex responses. Jesus would likely side step some or all of them, to get to the heart of the matter. Still, the various answers given by members of the Church can be varied and potentially confusing. Furthermore, there are passionate people who care fiercely to protect the LGBTQ+ Community, both within and outside of the Church. We do too.
Given the potential for volatility and complexity, there are a couple of things I’d like to ask you to consider as you choose whether or not you will follow this new blog.
First, you must understand that this is a journey. It is a journey to learn about a unique people group and reach them with THE greatest news. Though some Christians won’t take this journey because they don’t want to learn about LGBTQ+ peoples, there are many on the journey already because they truly do love the LGBTQ+ Community. Some have just started and some have been on it for many years. To some it’s changes in culture that compels them to take the journey and to others it may be more personal. A sojourner may have a colleague that compels them to take the trip, a friendly neighbor, or a family member. To others it will be more personal for them, it will be part of their lived experience.
Having a Guide
Whatever draws you to learn about the lGBTQ+ Community and the Christian faith, every sojourner needs a guide.
In Christ, we all have access to the Guide–the Holy Spirit, the parakletos. And, we all need human guides. In the Church we have leaders, teachers, evangelists, apostles, pastors, deacons, priests, etc. who guide us with the wisdom and gifting the Holy Spirit provides. In society, we have other authoritative people who guide us with the experiences, wisdom, disciplined methodology, and knowledge they have acquired through formal and informal education. These guides can inform us on our journey to better love LGBTQ+ peoples, reach them with the Great News, help them live the best life they ever could, and empower them.
Our personal journey has had some guides, people like: Andrew Marin; Christopher Yuan; Alan Chambers; Joe Dallas; Ken Williams and The Changed Movement; Caleb Kaltenbach; Ethan Messer LMFT; Mark A. Yarhouse; LeAnn Payne; Wesley Hill; Ron Belgau; ReVoice; Preston Sprinkle and the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender; Dr. James D. Smith III; Jackie Hill Perry; and more. There are members who identify as Christian and hold different views than us, that have been guides of ours of sorts, Justin Lee or Matthew Vines. There are also leaders and members of the LGBTQ+ Community that we admire and learn from. Through incarnational living and researching this people group we have learned a lot, even if we can never span the chasm of some of our biblically derived ethical convictions. LGBTQ+ friends and acquaintances have been extremely patient with us in our ignorance, shared their stories, and showed aspects of God’s image that have marked us for ever.
“LGBTQ+ friends and acquaintances have been extremely patient with us in our ignorance, shared their stories, and showed aspects of God’s image that have marked us for ever.
Important Answers About this Journey
Second, you who are willing to take or continue your journey by reading our blog probably want to understand the intentions of your guides here at Thousand Rainbows Ministries (TRM). You might ask, “who are you?” and “where are we going?” or even, “what are you asking me to give up?”
"Who are you?"
“…my primary identity is that I am a child of God (Jn. 1:12; Rom 8:14)
“It is important you understand that I share my journey not as a prescription or ultimate outcome for all people who experience Gender Dysphoria (GD) or SSA…
“…You know, you’re my friend.”
I hope we get to know one another. My name is Patrick and I am the current President and CEO of TRM. You can find my Wife Esther and I’s journey on our website. But, I want to share a bit here too.
I am a man who has been deeply humbled by my own need for Jesus. I hold and rejoice in several important ontological realities for me in Christ. The first is that I am a sinner saved by grace so others might have hope in His great mercy (1 Tim. 1:15-16). Thanks to the redemptive power of the Messiah, my primary identity is that I am a child of God1 (Jn. 1:12; Rom. 8:14). I believe that my life is not my own, but belongs to God (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Rom. 12:2; Gal. 2:20) and so I metaphorically crucify all that belongs to my sin nature on a regular basis (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:24). Christian identity is one thing, but what about from a broad-based viewpoint.
From a secular viewpoint, I usually say that I am an LGBTQ+ background Christian. I am someone who once had deep insecurities in my masculinity as a biological male and strong propensity to same sex attraction (SSA). These realities used to be a part of my daily life to a high degree, but they have lessened dramatically as God has done a great and measurable healing in me. I share where I’ve been so you can see my connection to LGBTQ+ peoples is very personal. While it is personal, I want to emphasize the challenge some of the readers of this blog post are likely experiencing right now.
To many, another Christian saying they used to experience SSA or GD and now don’t is a red flag that brings up either skepticism or wells of deep emotion. I write this with knowledge that many LGBTQ+ peoples might have fear, concern, shame, or hate spring up in them, especially because of the deep pain that is reported from some sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE)2. It is important you understand that I share my journey not as a prescription or ultimate outcome for all people who experience Gender Dysphoria (GD) or SSA, but as an honest description of just that—my own journey.
Over a long time of prayerful processing of long term calling, the reading of Love is an Orientation and sensing God’s invitation to do incarnational ministry led my Wife and I to live in an LGBTQ+ hub3. This was the backdrop where I caught a vision of being Jesus’ friend. In years of searching for how God wanted to use my life, He led me time and again to focus on people whose experiences were similar to mine. This ontological shift occurred one day as I drove home to Hillcrest. I felt Jesus impress on me, “you know, you’re my friend” (Jn. 15:15). I realized that Jesus was affirming who I was AS I joined Him in making disciples of LGBTQ+ people. I realized it wasn’t just me following the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) in general, but specifically, I was his friend because of Jesus’ desire to have me give my life to these very precious people. That was a sweet moment that has shifted my understanding of the missio dei and myself as God’s friend.
We founded TRM to move beyond our little family so the Church can share Jesus with LGBTQ+ peoples in relationship. In other words, so that the Church can befriend LGTBQ+ peoples. The task is too large for any one person, or family, or church or para-Church ministry. To build bridges between the Church and the LGBTQ+ Community we first look to be strong in our home base, the Church. But we also look to have strong connections, exemplified by healthy and authentic friendship with members of the Community. We would be thrilled for any Believer to join us in building bridges between the Church and the LGBTQ+ Community through relational ministry.
Now that Ive shared more of our story, I’d like to share with you where we anticipate leading you. So, where are we going?
"Where are we going?"
I can’t tell you where you will end up from a hermeneutical standpoint as you engage the Holy Bible. Will you hold an “affirming” position after the journey? Will you hold a traditional Christian sexual ethic (also, deemed “non-affirming”)? While I can’t tell you where you’ll land, I can tell you we will explore who God is, what Scripture says about human thriving, and what are the various interpretations of key passages surrounding sexuality and gender. My only goal for this would be that you can say something close to this effect: I really opened my mind and heart to what Scripture teaches and I am choosing to live under God’s authoritative Word and abiding presence.
I can’t tell you that you’ll end up knowing the ins and outs of LGBTQ+ peoples or issues of faith related to this people group. But, I must tell you that your level of understanding will be based on the personal choices you make:
- Will you lay down unGodly viewpoints towards LGBTQ+ peoples?
- Will you care enough about this group of people to really learn about their collective history, values, culture, hopes and dreams? And will you learn about the unique stories of those you know or meet?
- Will you allow your heart to break for the injustices done against the Community?
- Will you make some LGBTQ+ friends with the honest and telocentric goal to be a friend?
- Will you choose to live under God’s revealed authority among the complexity of issues of faith, sexuality, and gender?
If you do choose to come along through reading the Reclaiming the Rainbow People blog and engaging with Jesus and TRM, you will:
- you will learn the history, values, and culture of the LGBTQ+ Community.
- you will be “apprenticed” so that you love LGBTQ+ peoples in action, with great mercy, and great welcome.
- you will engage with the canon of Scripture and the various viewpoints around human sexuality and gender.
- you will find helpful pathways to stay true to who you are as a Christian and engage meaningfully with LGBTQ+ family, friends, or congregants.
- you will be challenged to make a true friend and/or look to reconcile with an LGBTQ+ loved one.
"What will I have to leave behind?"
Each of us brings something to this journey that will need to be left behind. We each have a life with a lot of experiences and learning. In our journeys, we bring stereotypes and fear. We can bring unholy judgmentalism. Or, we might be carrying ignorance or pride. If you have any of these, you can leave these behind and do so at your pace. If it does take a while, that is totally fine. However long your journey is, we only ask you to stay committed to leave un-Godly things behind.
You will also bring positive things to this journey that we hope you never leave behind. We never want you to leave a healthy curiosity or an open mind. Instead, we pray you will be a lifetime learner of this people group and God’s great heart for them. We hope you will never abandon a conviction to live under the rule of Jesus, expressed through the written and relational authority stemming from interactions with the living God. That is, we pray you would live as people full of grace and truth, in vibrant churches where the Spirit connects you to Jesus and the Father. These are spaces where God is honored through the Bible, even when wrestling with theological particularities is a reality. Lastly, we hope you will bring your commitment to be a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:2) for the good of LGBTQ+ persons.
I hope you understand following this blog and learning about the intersections of faith in Jesus and LGBTQ+ peoples will be a journey. If you can leave behind ungodly things, humble yourself to let us be one of your guides, we believe you will experience a rich journey with Jesus as His friend. He loves the LGBTQ+ people in action and you can be with Him as He does. It’s time for your official invitation.
An invitation to Apprenticeship 4
Let’s not stay in our own fears, stereotypes, judgmentalism, ignorance, hypocrisy, or pride. Instead, let us answer Jesus’ call to follow Him. 2000 years ago, He invited some very normal people to discipleship. Knowing I am not Him, I still invite you to “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of people” (Mark 1:17, my translation). I invite you to be His friend. I invite you to stay close to Him as He reclaims the Rainbow People.
Footnotes
1 J.I. Packer says in “Knowing God” pg. 200, that the “richest” definition of one who is a Christian is “…one who has God as Father”. (Packer 1973, IVP)
2 The 2009 American Psychological Association Task Force for SOCE reports mixed effects, negative and positive from SOCE efforts. There is, however, a large amount of anecdotal stories from “friends in the community regarding Ex-gay movements. The Netflix documentary Pray Away (2021) documents examples of people harmed from SOCE efforts. My personal encounters with folks have been mixed..but generally there is a large negative view from LGTBQ+ identifying individuals in my network.
American Psychological Association, Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation. (2009). Report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation. Retrieved from http://www. apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/therapeutic-resp.html
3 My Wife and I have lived in an LGBTQ+ hub for around 9 years.
4 James Bryan Smith first exposed me to the idea of communicating Discipleship as apprenticeship to recapture its original meaning.
