I’ve been screamed at by street preachers, and some days, I get pretty nasty mail. But protesting with a sign about Franklin Graham’s poisonous words spoken about gay youth at his “Decision America Tour” in Carson City, Nevada was yet another level of interesting. Though I am supportive of the work of Samaritan’s Purse, led by Franklin, […]
Caleb Kaltenbach’s Messy Grace: How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love without Sacrificing Conviction (2015, WaterBrook Press) had been recommended to me as a compassion treatment of the intersection of faith and sexual orientation. Kaltenbach’s book is one of the recent book offerings in latest genre of Christian authors extending what they perceive […]
Richard Stearns, President of World Vision, Inc., with a mission of “Building a better world for children,” announced today that the organization is recognizing and extending benefits to legally married gay Christian couples employed in their American branch. World Vision is a parachurch organization headquartered in Tacoma, Washington. Upon employment, staff members agree to: a […]
I sent Christian a note on March 11th, 2011, a few days after I had seen him on the Lisa Ling Our America: Pray the Gay Away show. There was something unsettling and robotic about him in the televised interview. He said he was no longer gay; to me he looked empty. Ling visited his apartment; […]
Thank you to Matt Roth of Matthew J. Roth “Embracing Religion without Religiousity” for interviewing me, Kathy Baldock, in his month-long series “Homosexuality & Christianity”. He posed some excellent questions and I appreciate the opportunity to answer them succinctly in a public forum. 1. Your ministry, Canyon Walker Connections, is geared towards bridging the gap […]
Ex-gay speaker, Kent Paris spoke at Summit Christian Church in Sparks, Nevada this week over six sessions. I attended four of those sessions: one for 12 to 18 year olds and parents, two weekend services and one Q&A session this afternoon. Other than fifteen one-on-one minutes with Paris asking clarifying questions following the youth program, […]
In December, I took a trip to Vancouver, BC to speak at Lighthouse of Hope Christian Fellowship. Lisa Salazar, the moderator, is on the Board of Canyonwalker Connections. She asks excellent questions that give insight into the work I do. In our work and friendship, she has become like a sister to me; that ease is […]
“What does the Bible say about loving, same-sex relationships?” Nothing. Not a thing. And in that absence of Biblical direction of support for or condemnation of these relationships, Christians need to follow the general principles of the Bible: love, justice and kindness. This was the point Matthew Vines wanted to emphasize at his recent presentation at […]
On May 9, 2012, President Obama became the first sitting United States President to support same sex marriage. There are at least 8 million adult gay Americans. Although they are still a minority, this is equivalent to the entire population of the state of North Carolina who on May 8th voted by in majority at the […]
Pastor Sean does not understand apology. He just does not get it. I taught my children at a very young age how to apologize appropriately . It requires honesty about your actions and the humility to accept responsibility. Pastor Sean believes he offered such words after his intensely offensive rant about gay people and gay kids […]
I have a hair-trigger sensitivity for the protection of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (glbt) youth. Even if an action is wrapped in heart-themed paper and tied with a Jesus-loves-you ribbon, when there is something rotten inside, I can smell it. There is something very rotten at the core of the Day of Dialogue event […]
Matthew Vines, 22, of Wichita, KS attended a conservative Presbyterian church growing up. He excelled in school and went to Harvard in 2008, and in that less restrictive social and academic environment, Matthew came to understand and accept that he was gay. In conservative denominations, there are only a few options for gay, lesbian, bisexual […]
The issue of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (glbt) Christians in the church has become a polarizing and even frightening conversation in some faith communities. There are glbt people sitting in virtually all congregations and church youth groups. How is your church addressing this? A few years ago, when I offered dialogue to 57 local […]
In the past decade, I have gone from being a comfortable friend of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT) to becoming a visible advocate. The gay community I had been warned about was not the gay community I came to know; the exclusionary practices of the Christian church were unsettling to the sense of justice […]
. “Hey, ‘str8apology lady’, tell ‘em. Tell her what you told me. Tell her Jesus loves her too.” So, I did, over and over throughout the day at Pride Charlotte on August 27th. I have gone to pride events for years and the extremes seen in Charlotte that day tell the greater story of […]
