LGBT

Review: A Brief Guide to Ministry with LGBTQIA Youth by Cody Sanders

By pwsbuilder / December 20, 2017 / Comments Off on Review: A Brief Guide to Ministry with LGBTQIA Youth by Cody Sanders

When I read Rev. Cody Sanders’ new little gem, A Brief Guide to Ministry with LGBTQIA Youth, I get the feeling that I’m sitting with a very smart and very compassionate friend. He knows that I am eager, but a little intimidated. He knows that I have questions, but I’m not sure how to ask…

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A neon sign that says open in a city.

Close The Door, Or Open to All?

By pwsbuilder / December 4, 2017 /

I was excited to take my now husband to the city I had considered home for many years. It was going to be his first time in New York City, having lived his whole adult life in the Pacific Northwest. I had lived in New York City for several years before moving to Washington State…

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A group of figurines in a display.

Christian Underhistory: Facing The Horrors of Christianity Past

By pwsbuilder / October 25, 2017 / Comments Off on Christian Underhistory: Facing The Horrors of Christianity Past

Let me tell you about my new podcast Christian Underhistory. It’s a Christian True Crime podcast. Each week I have a different guest, usually a preacher or a theologian or a seminarian, and I tell them a true horror story from Christian history. We usually engage in gallows humor, joke so we can get through it,…

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A group of people hugging in front of a cross.

The Nashville Statement Is Deadly Theology

By pwsbuilder / September 5, 2017 /

I am the daughter, granddaughter, niece and relative of more than ten evangelical Baptist and Methodist ministers in Alabama and Georgia. I am also an openly-gay married woman and the Alabama State Director for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest civil rights organization dedicated to achieving equality for LGBTQ  (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and…

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A woman holding up a sign that says fight white supremacy.

Building a Racially Responsible LGBTQIA Christian Movement

By pwsbuilder / August 25, 2017 / Comments Off on Building a Racially Responsible LGBTQIA Christian Movement

Last week Wade Davis offered this invitation to white Americans in response to what happened in Charlottesville: This grand display of domestic terrorism offers America yet another opportunity to confront white supremacy, not just white supremacists. And only self-identified white liberals and progressives are the individuals who should answer the call. Confronting or condemning white…

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A black and white photo of an older man smiling.

It’s Time to Canonize Fr. Mychal Judge: Seeking Personal Testimony

By pwsbuilder / July 18, 2017 / Comments Off on It’s Time to Canonize Fr. Mychal Judge: Seeking Personal Testimony

The time has come to begin the initial research to make Franciscan Fr. Mychal Judge, OFM, a canonized saint in the Catholic Church. We need people like you to spread the word about such a possibility so we can gather evidence about Fr. Judge’s life and ministry. On September 11, 2001, Fr. Judge, who was a chaplain…

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A woman holds a rosary in a church.

For National Migration Week, Bishops Must Learn Realities of LGBT Immigrants & Refugees

By pwsbuilder / January 12, 2017 / Comments Off on For National Migration Week, Bishops Must Learn Realities of LGBT Immigrants & Refugees

This week is National Migration Week, an annual event convened by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to focus attention on the plight of migrants, refugees, and victims of human trafficking in our world. This year’s theme for National Migration week, drawn from Pope Francis, is “Creating a Culture of Encounter.” And in this…

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A collage of paintings of a woman holding a heart.

Queering Mary, Queering Christmas

By pwsbuilder / December 17, 2016 / Comments Off on Queering Mary, Queering Christmas

It’s no secret that the holidays are often a difficult time for queer people. Disproportionately estranged from family means we often must create our own family. While these chosen families can be tremendously life-giving, it’s tough not to long for our families of origin during Christmas time. Many still in relationship with family are forced…

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A painting of a woman holding a heart.

Queering Mary Magdalene

By pwsbuilder / December 1, 2016 / Comments Off on Queering Mary Magdalene

Many of the revolutionary women in my Holy Women Icons Project identify as queer in some way. Many are emboldening straight allies. And there are many whose sexuality we know nothing about. When it comes to some of the women in scripture, reading their stories through the lens of queer theory, or “queering” their stories,…

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Voting stickers are displayed on a voting machine.

Beyond The Ballot, We Cannot Rest

By pwsbuilder / November 7, 2016 / Comments Off on Beyond The Ballot, We Cannot Rest

Daily, we have borne witness to the divisive language and tactics that have been employed during the 2016 Election. I have often had to remind myself: God is still in control and all things happen according to His plan. The 2016 election has reminded me how much further we actually have to go as a…

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