Greater than Disagreement: Extending the Welcome of Christ to our LGBTQ+ Brothers and Sisters
There has been a rise in conversation around how to address the presence of LGBTQ+ individuals in the Church in recent years, sparking debate across denominations. I intend to prove, through scholarly sources and research, that LGBTQ+ people can be welcomed into Christian communities to wrestle with their questions and receive Christ’s love, regardless of the church’s stance on homosexuality. This is relevant to the common man who may wonder how to minister and connect through differences in convictions. First, I will demonstrate that the LGBTQ+ community experiences pain that the Church can address. Second, I will show that Jesus’ ministry provides a model of meeting pain with love and an invitation to wrestling in relationship with God. Third, I will provide evidence that navigating relationships by addressing both personal regulation and empathetic engagement with another fosters the sense of safety necessary for sharing pain and beginning to wrestle through questions. Having established that all LGBTQ+ can be welcomed into Christian communities to wrestle with their questions and receive Christ’s love and, I will advocate that church communities should meet the pain of LGBTQ+ community members with empathy, honor questions that they have as an opportunity to draw near to God, and celebrate the transforming work of God as it unfolds in their lives.
CM 499, Senior Capstone
David Reed
10:30 – 10:55 AM
Goodrich 109