Why Do THEY Need Their Own Ministry?

by Karen Favreau

A few months ago, I was asked to speak about my faith journey to a group of students at a local college. They are part of a nascent Episcopal/Lutheran campus ministry group that is overseen by a radical, ex-hippie Episcopal priest and a kindly, white-haired, Lutheran minister. I told the students that, once I’m ordained as an Episcopal deacon, I want to work with GLBT Christians as part of my ministry. “We already welcome them into our churches,” the kindly Lutheran minister sighed in response to my statement. “Why do they need their own ministry?”

Yes, it’s true—Episcopalians, Lutherans, and other mainline Protestants do welcome GLBT Christians into their churches. Some of these denominations even ordain openly gay and lesbian clergy and perform same-sex blessings. As an Episcopalian, I am proud of my chosen denomination for “walking the walk” with regard to Jesus’ message of embracing the outcast and inviting the marginalized to the table. Yet, because of the unique experiences of GLBT Christians, simply opening the door may not go far enough.

Mental health professionals have long recognized the toll that societal oppression and self-hatred takes on an individual’s psyche. Miller & Striver speak of something called “condemned isolation” in which marginalized men and women are “locked out of the possibility of human connection.” That is, when individuals are repeatedly treated as “the other,” they often carry within themselves a deep sense of shame, develop a belief that they are somehow defective, and engage with others inauthentically as a means of survival.

Many of the LGBT congregants who have been welcomed into our churches still wrestle with feelings of shame and guilt regarding their sexuality. Some may have dealt with these feelings by joining organizations, such as Exodus International, that try to “convert” gay people by subjecting them to unethical, dangerous, and highly dubious therapeutic techniques. Others may have been kicked out of the churches of their childhood, disowned by “Bible believing” parents and siblings, or fired from jobs simply for trying to live an authentic life. As a result, they are deeply wounded and desperately in need of healing.

I am not angry at the Lutheran minister for his comments. I imagine that he has struggled long and hard in trying to reconcile his understanding of Christ’s teachings with regard to homosexuality. Perhaps he’s simply tired of constantly reading about the brouhaha over same-sex marriages, gay bishops, and lesbian priests in the Episcopal Church. Or maybe he fears that his own beloved denomination will be rocked and forever altered now that it too has begun honestly addressing the issue of gay clergy and the role of GLBT individuals in the life of the Church. It is not up to me to judge him—all I can do is try to educate.

So why do THEY need their own ministry? For the simple reason that people feel a need to ask the question.