People often ask me what is the difference between welcoming, accepting and affirming churches. This little infograph will give you some idea. Some churches refuse to go on the journey. Some began the journey, then got stuck, afraid of the potential for controversy and conflict. Others have continued to take brave steps in faith towards [...]
National Faith and Marriage Equality Forum Parliament House, Canberra (NB: In the video I mention Impact Church Adelaide. This was meant to be Activate Church. It has been corrected in the text below) Dr Gavriel Ansara (Rosh Pinah: An Affirming Orthodox Jewish Network), Rev Dr Peter Catt [...]
‘Welcoming, but not affirming’: being gay and Christian August 30, 2016 1.11pm AEST on The Conversation Author Mark Jennings Lecturer in Religious Studies, Murdoch University It may seem like LGBT people and conservative Christians inhabit two different worlds. But with 40% of same sex couples in Australia identifying as Christian, LGBT people are likely to [...]
Those who know Pentecostal history well, know it began 110 years ago in Los Angeles and was called the Azusa Street Revival. The impact of the Pentecostal movement on Christianity was tantamount to that of the reformation in the 16th century. From very, very humble beginnings in 1906, today one out of every four Christians [...]
Dr Laura Schlessinger is an American conservative talk radio host known for her straight talking and '"tough love" approach. Her radio program consists mainly of her responses to callers' requests for personal advice. One might call it Dear Abbey meets shock jock. When Dr Laura Schlessinger caused so much controversy by stating on her radio [...]
My Exodus: Leaving the Slavery of Religion, Loving the Image of God in Everyone by Alan Chambers My rating: 4 of 5 stars "Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one" so the saying goes. Never was a truer word spoken about what people think of Alan and Leslie Chambers. This memoir, mostly written by Alan [...]
Research demonstrates something I have been pointing out for some time now. That is, that LGBT people of faith and religion experience the usual issues of resolving their sexuality or gender identity, coming out, finding their place in the community and learning what it means to live authentically in a predominately straight world. They often however, experience these [...]
Over the years I have observed that gay males from Christian backgrounds often go through a process. It begins with fragmentation through to conforming and some make it to integration. Our real self is the gay self. We may have turned to Christianity because of our homosexuality or discovered it growing up as Christian young [...]
Why is it so hard? Resolving the perceived conflict of faith and sexuality is a difficult path for most people from a traditional/conservative Christian culture. LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people from Pentecostal or Charismatic backgrounds have specific needs to be addressed in order to resolve that internal conflict. LGBT people from Pentecostal and Charismatic [...]