Posts by Believe Out Loud
My Roots: Reflections On Metropolitan Community Church’s PAD Conference
Whenever I think about my experiences over the years at the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) Conference for People of African Descent, Our Allies and Friends (PAD), I can’t help but think of the Tree of Life. Perhaps you’ve encountered this tree (pictured above) before and just didn’t know it. Remember Rafiki, the old and wise mandrill from The Lion King,…
Read MoreThe Freedom To Say “I Do”
I was delighted when I heard the news that the United Church of Christ (UCC) had brought a landmark lawsuit against the State of North Carolina to hopefully overturn Amendment One. According to multiple media sources, the UCC filed a lawsuit to challenge state marriage laws that restrict a pastor’s freedom to exercise their religious…
Read MoreRising From The Ashes
As I reflect on the last six months, I can only say it was the grace of God that has kept me and kept my mind. It was only God’s love that kept my wife and I covered. After disclosing my sexual orientation to the church where I was the senior pastor and sharing that I had…
Read MoreLoving All God’s Children Equally
Today’s church, the Body of Christ, is at a crossroads. Some denominations are trying to wear an accommodating mask under the guise of phrases like “hate the sin, love the sinner,” but upon closer examination, we see that these words have a less-than-Christ-like tone. How can love be a sin? The “sin” here is love,…
Read MoreBeing An Ally Is My Divine Destiny
“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid.” —Cesar Chavez In studying the life of Cesar Chavez, I was surprised to learn, he couldn’t demand equality for his…
Read MoreUnited Church Of Christ Landmark Lawsuit Says North Carolina Laws Restrict Freedom of Religion
The General Synod of the United Church of Christ (UCC) filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, arguing that North Carolina laws defining and regulating marriage as being between a man and woman restrict UCC ministers from performing their religious duties and are unconstitutional. The State of North Carolina prevents couples of…
Read MoreSeeing With The Eyes Of The Soul
Picture the scene as Mary Magdalene weeps outside the tomb of Jesus. She’d already witnessed her Lord and friend murdered days earlier, nails hammered hard through his hands and feet, his body dying before her. And this morning she’s up early to clean and anoint him, but he isn’t here! His body’s missing! “They’ve taken…
Read MoreWhat Jesus Told Me
Playing a “gay Jesus” figure in Terrence McNally’s passion play “Corpus Christi” for the past eight years has given me a deeply intimate and awesomely sublime connection to the teachings of Jesus. This play brought me back to a faith I unofficially, and internally, denounced after being baptized, raised, and confirmed Catholic. I couldn’t give…
Read MoreLiving The Resurrection: My Church’s First LGBT Program
It was Saturday afternoon at 3:38 pm: the doors to the auditorium had been open for 18 minutes, and we already had a filled room. We talked about streaming in one overflow room, but we ended up with three rooms. This was the first program Andrews University, the flagship institution of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA)…
Read MoreChristianity Made Me Bisexual
I grew up in the church and prayed the sinner’s prayer at least a dozen times between age six and sixth grade. As someone who grew up in the church, I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering how much my life has been shaped by my parents’ religion. With a different upbringing, I might have…
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