As a Christian and a human being, I was very troubled recently by an event that happened at a Church down the road from the Presbyterian Church where I am a member. I won’t name the denomination or the Church but it wasn’t Presbyterian or Methodist or Anglican or Unitarian. The event involved a young girl, in her late teens that I have met a couple of times a few years ago. The event happened just before Christmas.
This young lady is gay. She left home after high school graduation and after coming out. She returned to her parents’ church, the church where she grew up. She was asked to leave by the minister. She was told that because she was gay, she was not welcome. This was done in front of the members of the congregation.
Now, I have heard the arguments that the minister was justified in telling her to leave because she was there to create a scene, because she had caused her parents much heart break with her many rebellious acts, because she was only there for the Christmas presents and because she wasn’t there for God.
Even so, even if all of the arguments are true, couldn’t the situation have been handled differently? I know that his young lady is not perfect but she is a child of God.
My minister’s daughter invited her to our Church but she didn’t come. Since I don’t really know her, I didn’t contact her directly but did send a message through the minister’s daughter that I would go with her to the local Metropolitan Community Church. I wanted her to see people that are happy in their Christianity and in a Church that is happy with them.
Our Church would have been welcoming and open to this young lady. Our minister and our congregation could have helped heal some of her wounds. However, I think because the young lady is struggling now with an identity crises, she needs more than straight people. She needs good role models that are Christian and are gay. We don’t have that combination in our tiny church with 30 members.
It has been 2 months now since the incident. To my knowledge, she has not gone to any church. She has not seen her parents. She has her friends.
If God doesn’t make junk, then how can a church throw her away? I am still troubled.
Tags: church, gay, Presbyterian, Serving God or serving yourself. What you can do for others.