The Institute for Welcoming Resources

In increasing numbers, Christians are searching for a faithful response in the church’s conversation about what it means to welcome and affirm people of all sexual identities and gender expressions. This video resource invites viewers to explore that question through six themes central to the Reformed tradition that are woven through the liturgies and confessional standards of the Reformed Church in America. We have created a downloadable discussion guide and encourage you to make use of it as you view the accompanying videos, pausing after each section to engage in reflection and conversation. The questions provided are based on the video content, Scripture, and Reformed confessions or liturgies. Download the discussion guide (pdf) and the complete video series (mp4 files). The series is also available on DVD for $15 plus shipping.

Loving All God's Children Equally

Today's church, the Body of Christ, is at a crossroads. Some denominations are trying to wear an accommodating mask under the guise of phrases like "hate the sin but love the sinner," but upon closer examination, we see that these words have a less-than-Christlike tone. How can love be a sin? The "sin" here is love, a love that people have no choice about. My hope and prayer is for the church to fully embrace all LGBTQI people. This will have a dramatic impact for many, but most especially for our youth, who do not need to be shamed, "healed" or merely tolerated but fully embraced and loved just as they are, beautifully created in God's image.

How should the church show Christ's love to all? What does that love look like for my gay brothers and sisters in Christ? How do we create a safe and inclusive faith community where all God's children can come together to worship? Today's church needs to address these questions.

A Remembrance of Jack Cover

I met Jack through the church as have many people. Jack believed that God’s love was for everyone, no exceptions, no one left out of God’s love and God’s embrace. And, this strongly held belief by Jack became the signature of his life.

Jack had learned that some people had been given reason to doubt God’s love for them by the Church, the same Church that had taught Jack of God’s love for him and everyone else. So Jack joined the local chapter of More Light Presbyterians to make sure that LGBT people and their families knew they were part of God’s good creation and loved by God. Jack became a passionate ally in the equality movement in both the Church and society.

Interfaith Vigil International Day against Homophobia & Transphobia (IDAHOT) 2014

The European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups in collaboration with Progetto Gionata is pleased to present you the toolkit for the preparation of the vigil of prayer and meditation for the International Day against Homophobia & Transphobia 2014 on 17 May.

The group or the community you belong to is invited to mark the day with a vigil service or a prayer meeting in order to raise your voice against homophobia/transphobia and to join in a global call to pray for those societies where homosexual and transexual persons still face violence, death and discriminations and for the inclusiveness and acceptance in all societies and cultures.

RMN prepares for beloved staff member farewell

Reconciling Ministries Network celebrates the service of a prominent staff leader as she announces her departure.

After five years of service and the Called to Witness and Love Your Neighbor campaigns to mobilize United Methodists of all sexual orientations and gender identities to work for full LGBTQ inclusion in The UMC, RMN program director and UMC deaconess Rachel Harvey will be leaving RMN at the end of May. Prior to joining RMN in the fall of 2009, Rachel spent five years organizing in local conference Reconciling teams in South Dakota and New York. She also worked with the General Board of Global Ministries, Response magazine/United Methodist Women, and was a US-2 missionary serving as the director of a Reconciling campus ministry.

James Rowe Named New Director Of Believe Out Loud

Intersections International is pleased to announce the appointment of James Rowe as the new Director of Believe Out Loud. Prior to his new appointment, James served as both the Community Outreach Director and Acting Director for Believe Out Loud, working closely with faith leaders, movement organizers and welcoming churches across the country to advance LGBT equality from a Christian perspective.

Rowe came to Intersections in 2010 when he served as executive assistant to both the founding director and director of operations. Prior to Intersections, he was a seasoned event planner overseeing events for the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding (2004 – 2007) and Gilda’s Club New York City (2002 – 2004). He also led development and volunteer programs within interfaith and LGBT equality institutions including the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding and the Hetrick-Martin Institute, which advocates for LGBTQ youth. Based in New York City, Rowe is a student of American Sign Language and serves as both a Board Member and sign language interpreter for the historic Anna Crusis Women’s Choir, the country’s longest-running women’s choir.

NEW DOCUMENTARY!

"In Our Fullness: Faith and Activism Across Difference"
presents conversations with activists about faith-based work for radical social change around issues including sexuality, gender, race, class, and age. The video includes powerful testimonies from activists representing Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Native spiritualities, presenting challenges and successes in faith-based progressive-left coalition building.

Produced by the Institute for Welcoming Resources, a Project of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in partnership with the Macalester College Chuck Green Civic Engagement Fellowship.

Additional Ecumenical & Multi-Faith Groups Convened by IWR

Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays Vs. Christians Debate

As a teenager and young man, Justin Lee felt deeply torn. Nicknamed “God Boy” by his peers, he knew that he was called to a life in the evangelical Christian ministry. But Lee harbored a secret: He also knew that he was gay. In this groundbreaking book, Lee recalls the events–his coming out to his parents, his experiences with the “ex-gay” movement, and his in-depth study of the Bible–that led him, eventually, to self-acceptance. But more than just a memoir, TORN provides insightful, practical guidance for all committed Christians who wonder how to relate to gay friends or family members–or who struggle with their own sexuality. Convinced that “in a culture that sees gays and Christians as enemies, gay Christians are in a unique position to bring peace,” Lee demonstrates that people of faith on both sides of the debate can respect, learn from, and love one another.

What Do I Do Now? When a Child Comes Out as Lesbian or Gay

Few parents are prepared for the moment when a child comes out as lesbian or gay. What Do I Do Now? gives loving reassurance and theological guidance towards maintaining a loving relationship with your son or daughter. Rev. Dr. Johnston, a Pastoral Psychologist with 25 years of experience working with gay men and women and their families, encourages parents towards understanding, open communication, and self care in this practical guide.

God Believes in Love: Straight Talk About Gay Marriage

From the Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church, the first openly gay person elected (in 2003) to the historic episcopate and the world's leading religious spokesperson for gay rights and gay marriage - a groundbreaking book that lovingly and persuasively makes the case for same-sex marriage using a commonsense, reasoned, religious argument, made by someone who holds the religious text of the Bible to be holy and sacred and the ensuing two millennia of church history to be relevant to the discussion, equally familiar with the secular and political debate going on in America today, and for whom same-sex marriage is a personal issue; Robinson was married to a woman for two decades and is a father of two children and has been married to a man for the last four years of a twenty-three year relationship.

Puzzles: When Hate Came to Town

The film follows the story of a violent hate crime that occurred in New Bedford, MA, when an 18-year-old entered an LGBT bar and brutally attacked three patrons with a hatchet and a gun. In response, the community came together to establish greater understanding and connection. PUZZLES is a deeply human exploration of the roots of hate crime, and the intersections between joblessness, homophobia, intolerance, alienation and violence.

Queer Clergy: A History of Gay and Lesbian Ministry in American Protestantism

Attorney, historian, and novelist, R. W. Holmen brings a unique voice to the conversation of gay clergy in the pulpits. Queer Clergy: A History of Gay and Lesbian Ministry in American Protestantism provides a detailed history of the ways in which the United Church of Christ, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have dealt with the issue of ordaining Queer clergy. Queer Clergy will prove to be an historical reference book for years to come.