“What a beautiful name it is… What a wonderful name it is… What a powerful name it is… The name of Jesus.” We sang this song in Sweden at the Jesus Älskar HBTQ (Jesus Loves LGBTQ+) Conference and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head ever since. A couple of weeks ago Karen and I flew to Stockholm to be part of the very first Christian LGBTQ+ conference in Sweden. A hundred or so LGBTQ+ Christians, allies, family members, and pastors gathered to hear teaching from Justin Lee, Matthew Vines, and Karen Keen, pioneers in the larger evangelical sphere on faith and sexuality. I shared the min ..read more

This past week I was in Atlanta for the Unconditional Conference for over 500 parents of LGBTQ children, hosted by a ministry called Embracing the Journey. Embracing the Journey is a ministry started by Greg and Lynn McDonald, who are parents of a gay son. Knowing the need for other parents to have a safe place to land after a child first comes out, they have worked tirelessly to create a Christian community for parents through online support groups and other resources. Their Unconditional Conference, hosted by their church in Atlanta—North Point Community Church—was the first of its kind. Wh ..read more

For the last 20 years I’ve been collecting stories. Primarily the stories of people who have wrestled with resolving their faith and sexuality. Some because it was their own personal journey, others because of the close-up experience of their own child or of a beloved family member. Then there are the few rare souls who have come to see on their own that our questions of faith and sexuality our far more complex than we’ve realized. We celebrated the passing of one of those rare souls yesterday. He preached for a church in a mid-size town in west Texas. A town that was home to a small Christian ..read more

When I first came out to my parents, they needed someone to talk to. Someone who understood their perspective – someone who understood their world that had taught them that being gay was wrong, that it was a choice, and that surely I was confused, had been led astray, and needed help. They needed someone to talk to who understood that in the unspoken recesses of their minds, there was the shameful conclusion that they must’ve done something to cause me to be gay. What my parents needed most was someone who could help them understand that these things they’d been taught to believe were not true ..read more

I am a legacy. That’s what you call someone who has ancestry at a college or university. At least one generation before has received an education there. In my case, my mother attended my alma mater, and although she went on to graduate from another university, North Texas, it was Abilene Christian that she always claimed as her school. Along with Rex Kyker, Mid McKnight, and Jimmy Wood, Mama was in the class of 1943. For as long as I can remember, she would periodically take out her “Prickly Pear,” the college yearbook from her time there, and I would sit beside her on the living room couch wh ..read more

I’ve had lots of coming out experiences, sharing with family, close friends, even a former professor in order to be considered for a job teaching at a Christian university. They were all anxiety-producing to various degrees, depending on my relationship with the person and how I perceived they would respond. The overwhelming majority of those experiences were positive, with people expressing love, even if they didn’t quite know what to say. My favorite all-time response was from the wife of a dear friend. They had just recently married and I didn’t know her as well as I knew her husband, so I ..read more

I’ve never been to a Pride parade. Not ever. But when all the restrictions of the pandemic are lifted and we start having them again, I’ll go. Here’s why. Because when I started playing drums in a praise band at a church in Abilene on Wednesday nights, my mama came to hear me play. My mother grew up at a time when churches of Christ were not just known for their tradition of a cappella music, they were engaged in formal debates about whether or not instruments could be used in worship without it being a threat to our salvation. Mama felt strongly about adhering to the teachings of the church ..read more

The first time I ever witnessed a baby blessing at my new church, Wilshire Baptist, I couldn’t hold back the tears. At the end of the service, the pastor acknowledged the family and they all came up to the front of the church. Pastor Timothy greeted all of them and then he reached for the baby girl. She went to him without hesitation and seemed to instantly be right at home in his arms. Tim has no children of his own yet, but it was clear he had held babies before!  Baby Girl was intently focused on Timothy as he began walking her slowly up the left-hand aisle of the sanctuary, which was ..read more

Twenty-five years ago today I got up earlier than usual, and put on my red boys’ polo sweater, my favorite button-fly Guess jeans that were a size too big, and my heavy tweed car coat, before heading out the door. Snow was already falling in a whirlwind and it was bitter cold. It had rained a little the night before, so there was a thin layer of ice on our driveway. My mom followed me out to the garage with a thermal mug of coffee to drink on the way. Of course she told me to be careful on the roads, because that’s what mothers do, but she didn’t even suggest that I reschedule the appointment ..read more

In case you’re still wondering why you should sign up for CenterPeace’s Conference, here are ten excellent reasons we hope you’ll consider. For the next eight weeks I’ll post what we at CenterPeace believe are compelling arguments for attending – besides the fact that the conference is all about “equipping, empowering, and encouraging” conversation about faith and sexuality. What will be your tipping point, the thing that pushes you to go to and register right now?! Be sure and let us know! Reason #10… If you haven’t heard it elsewhere on social media, The Conference is going to be all online ..read more