A Different Kind Of Baptist: Countering Westboro Baptist Church

Two weeks ago, I stood face-to-face with Westboro Baptist Church outside the Supreme Court. I was one of many Christians attending the rally for marriage equality who gathered nearby to counter their offensive rhetoric.

Some stood for hours to shield LGBTQ people and their allies from Westboro’s comically hateful version of God.

With rainbow banners and handmade signs held high, ordained clergy and congregants alike banded together to proclaim God’s love for all.

I never expected to stand so close to Shirley Phelps-Roper, the matriach of the small but vocal “church.” When we finally locked eyes, I was struck by how little her presence affected me. I wasn’t angry, I wasn’t offended, and I certainly wasn’t repentant.

Instead, I was uplifted by the love and witness of the LGBTQ-affirming Christian community.

In my role here at Believe Out Loud, I’m honored to work with welcoming and affirming folks from all corners of the Christian tradition. In fact, I’m in such a supportive little bubble that I sometimes forget our cultural narrative suggests all Christians are exclusive.

I’m even more grateful for this courageous community when I reflect on my own childhood, growing up Southern Baptist with no gay role models in my life.

As I stood facing Westboro Baptist Church, I knew there were other Baptist voices in the crowd.

Rev. Jill McCrory was one of many who came to support marriage equality. As the chair of the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists (AWAB), Rev. McCrory is part of a growing movement working toward LGBTQ inclusion throughout the Baptist world.

The organization’s Executive Director, Rev. Robin Lunn, describes the importance of this work:

“Whether it’s Westboro Baptist Church or Richard Land from the Southern Baptist Convention, so often the only Baptist voices that people hear are the negative ones that the media lifts up. We need to stand up and be loud and proud as Welcoming and Affirming Baptists so people who are wounded and have left the church can find a place to call home.” 

AWAB is raising funds now to support their Living Jubilee Revival Tour, which will travel the country this summer to “let America know that Westboro Baptist Church isn’t the only kind of Baptist.” In October, the tour will end in Providence, RI, where AWAB members will gather to celebrate 40 years of the LGBT-inclusive Baptist movement.

I’m proud to be a gay Baptist, and I’m grateful for the many Baptists who paved the way for my own coming out. 

Westboro Baptist Church will not have the final word. Together, we will build this movement to spread God’s love and affirm the dignity and worth of all God’s children.

Photo courtesy of People for the American Way