Our Witness: The Testimonies of LGBT+ Christians

Last updated on: July 1, 2016 at 2:24 pm by Brandan Robertson

Our Witness: The Testimonies of LGBT+ Christians 2016-07-01T14:24:08-04:00 Brandan Robertson

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Following the shooting of nearly 50 LGBT+ people in Orlando, I and many others have begun to speak up about the damage that non-inclusive, non-affirming religious teaching causes in the hearts and minds, not only of LGBT+ people who hear it, but in all people who hear it. The Christian Church has, for thousands of years, promoted a homophobic message that does not beget life, but produces fear, hatred, and death. For thousands of years, Christians, in the name of God, have oppressed LGBT+ people, calling us unnatural, abominations, and disgusting, a message that stands in direct opposition to the message of the Gospel as revealed by Jesus himself.

For so many Christians who have grown up under this fear based, non-affirming teaching about sexual and gender minorities, this has manifested as harsh opposition to the equal human rights of LGBT+ people both in society and within the Church. They react with such opposition not because they are intrinsically hateful people, but because they have been taught that this is what God desires of them, that their opposition of LGBT+ rights and inclusion is actually the loving thing to do, and that there is a dangerous agenda being promoted by LGBT+ people that seeks to destroy the family and oppress the Church.

I, and many others, have spent countless hours debating my conservative Christian brothers and sisters on theology, making the case that the trajectory of the Gospel of Jesus is actually towards full acceptance, inclusion, and celebration of LGBT+ relationships. Yet never once have I had a conversation, made an argument, given someone a book, or took someone to a conference where an argument about LGBT+ theology convinced them to change their heart on this issue. Instead, the only thing, in my experience, that has ever changed anyone’s mind from being “non-affirming” to “affirming” has been them having personal relationships with LGBT+ people, especially LGBT+ people of faith, who shine the light of Christ through their lives and call into question all of the stereotypes and presuppositions that conservative Christians have about LGBT+ people. It is the empathic understanding of the experience, life, struggles, and intentions of LGBT+ people that helps all people begin to think differently about how they respond and what the believe about LGBT+ rights.

Back in April, a large evangelical event called the Q Conference was hosted in my town of Denver, Colorado. During this conference, which brought thousands of evangelical influencers together to discuss “hot button” issues, there were a number of sessions on LGBT+ people and how Christians should respond. Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, this evangelical conference didn’t include a single openly pro-LGBT+ Christian voice in the conversation (despite the fact that LGBT+ people are one of the fastest growing demographics in American Christianity), and instead spent their time talking about us without ever hearing from us. Unless we’re included, there is no room for empathic understanding to be cultivated, and I have a suspicion that this what probably one of the reasons no openly pro-LGBT+ Christians were included. But in our day and age, I find this unacceptable. Everyone knows someone who is LGBT+, so there is no excuse to have conversations about us without us.

That’s why my non-profit, Nomad Partnerships, decided to host a counter event, directly after the Q Conference ended, called Our Witness, which plat formed the stories and voices of 11 leading LGBT+ Christians. We hosted our event at one of the venues that the Q Conference was hosted at and offered free registration to all Q Conference attendees. During the day of the event, nearly two hundred people showed up to hear the stories of LGBT+ Christians and enter into dialogue with us. Our speakers talks were all 15 mins or less and were packed with some of the most powerful storytelling and teaching that I have ever heard. Every story was unique and yet every story poignantly demonstrated the danger of non-affirming theology and the power of LGBT+ people who have committed their lives to Christ. I walked away from our event feeling so full and so convinced that something truly profound had happened. In the months since, I’ve received emails and messages from many Q Conference attendees, telling me of their appreciation and support for hosting Our Witness, and the journey they’ve embarked on since hearing these stories.

Today, it is my honor and pleasure to share with you the full lineup of Our Witness speakers. Please feel free to take your time with these videos, allowing each story to sink in. No matter who you are, conservative Christian or LGBT+ person, I believe that you will find these stories hope-inducing and impactful. Also, please feel free to share any or all of these videos- we offer them to you free of charge, because we at Nomad Partnerships are committed to uplifting the unheard stories of LGBT+ Christians.

Rev. Christopher Arlen- Gay Christian, Baptist Minister – @RevCArlen

Rev. Reagan Humber- Gay Christian, Lutheran Pastor- @Episcopunk

Matthias Roberts- Gay Christian, Blogger and Seminarian- @MatthiasRoberts

Brandan Robertson- Bisexual Christian, Author and Seminarian- @BrandanJR

Rev. Nicole Garcia- Transgender Christian, Therapist and Lutheran Seminarian

Brad Allen- Gay Christian, Former Evangelical Pastor

Isaac Archuleta- Bisexual Christian, Psychotherapist and Former Seminary Professor- @iAmArchuleta

Rev. Paula Williams- Trangender Christian, Former Evangelical Megachurch Pastor

Eliel Cruz- Bisexual Christian, Journalist and Activist- @ElielCruz

Rev. Asher O’Callaghan- Trangender Christian, Lutheran Pastor-@AsherOCallaghan

For more information on the Our Witness conference click here. To contact our staff at Nomad Partnerships, please send us a message here. Thank you!

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