The message I’ve been waiting to hear from a Pentecostal pulpit in Australia happened on the weekend.
Ps
Rob Buckingham from Bayside Church in Melbourne preached a message of
love and acceptance for GLBT people. At the Saturday night service the
congregation gave him a standing ovation.
It
is so encouraging to find those within the Christian Church who have
been willing to ask to important questions. There is definitely a new
climate of questioning and humility in some circles. For this we are
very grateful. The two questions many are asking are.
1. Has the churches attitude towards the GLBT community been reflective of God’s love
2. Is it possible that the churches beliefs about same sex orientation been in error
Whilst
I’ve been in dialogue with many church leaders both in Australia and
overseas, I’ve often wondered who’d be the first brave person to tell
the truth about what they really feel in such a public way.
God
has given Ps Rob the insight, courage and grace to create a new world
for so many of Gods damaged GLBT people that will bring healing and
empower others to do things better in the future. This message will
literally save lives and contribute enormously to end the unnecessary
suffering experienced by GLBT people who are still in churches as well
as those who have left.
Sincerely from my heart Rob I want to
say thank you……and on behalf of the many 1,000’s of us who have
struggled to find answers to the perceived conflict between our faith
and our sexuality…often in a hostile environment…….I also say thank you.
A
standing ovation….is a powerful affirmation by the congregation of
Pastor Rob’s message. The same thing happened to the 100 Revs who
marched in the Mardi Gras parade in 2008. People stood to their feet and
applauded the brave ministers who were marching to indicate they were
sorry for the churches treatment of attitude towards the GLBT community
Whilst
some like to focus on the negatives and the right wing Christian
extremists….we should realise that behind the scenes a quiet revolution
is happening. Every now and then it surfaces as it did this weekend.
Congratulations to Ps Rob and his congregation. …..and of course a thank
you to those who are still in the questioning stage……how can we serve
you as you seek greater understanding about our lives.
Feel
free to spread some good news.
You can read the story in the gay press here .
You can watch the message in 5 parts on Youtube
You can listen to the podcast free on iTunes here
© Anthony Venn-Brown
Anthony Venn-Brown is the co-founder and former leader of Freedom2b, Australia’s largest network of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people from Christian backgrounds. He is also an educator and consultant on LGBT/faith issues and leader in deconstructing the ‘ex-gay’ myth. Anthony’s autobiography 'A Life of Unlearning', details his journey from married, high profile preacher in Australia’s mega-churches to living as an openly gay man. Anthony has been twice voted ‘One of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians’ (2007 & 2009) and was one of four finalists for the 2011 ACON Community Hero Award. He is also the founder and director of Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International.
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