The Gifts of Inclusion

What I've learned from queer Christians and how the LGBTQ+ Community makes our church a better place

I have spoken to and messaged with dozens of people over the past week. So many folks are hurting and scared. So many Christians are asking what to do to help those who are in harm’s way (or how they will find the strength to move forward if they are in the groups who stand to lose the most). One of those groups is the LGBTQ+ community.

Last week, MSNBC shared the following information: “The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that provides mental health crisis services to LGBTQ people, reported a nearly 700% increase in reach-outs to its crisis services on Nov. 6, the day after the election.”

At our church, we partner with numerous non-profits who are doing hard, beautiful, critical work to support at-risk people. One such organization is CenterPeace— a ministry supporting the LGBTQ+ community. I recently experienced the honor of speaking at the annual CenterPeace conference in Dallas. This organization, founded by my dear friend and mentor Sally Gary in 2006, is doing the Lord’s work.

From their website: ”Following the lead of Jesus, who never turned anyone away, CenterPeace is helping Christians who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, or asexual to find a place to belong within the Body of Christ.” What a beautiful, powerful mission.

I have known Sally and her wife, Karen, for a few years now and they have quickly become two of my favorite people. They have eaten at my dining room table and asked my kids about their extracurricular activities. They have loved and supported Amy and me with a generosity beyond imagination. Our church community loves them, too, and has benefited from their preaching on multiple occasions. 

The beautiful space Sally has created through CenterPeace is unlike anything else; she is probably the most Christlike person I’ve ever met, inspiring so many of us, queer and straight, to live and love like Jesus.

Sally asked me to speak at this year’s conference about how our church is making a difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ folks. While I appreciated the prompt, the phrasing was a bit misleading— it would be much more accurate to say that LGBTQ+ folks are making a difference in the life of our church.

Here’s what I shared with the CenterPeace community. I hope it will be encouraging to you, too, no matter your station in life.