06/13/2024
This is taking so much of my emotional energy to share, but it's incredibly important:
Picture it, Washington, DC, 2017. I was at a personal crossroads. My understanding of who I was and how I wanted to show up in the world felt like it was incompatible with staying at the place that had been my spiritual home for more than years at time. The place that made me proud to be Black, proud to be a Man, and proud to be a follower of Christ made me question if I could be all that and proudly Q***r.
The energy was never particularly hostile, but it was never particularly warm either. Far too often in the church, acceptance comes in the form of silence. And that was not what I wanted. I wanted to be in a space that loved me and embraced me in the fullness of my divinity. I was nagged by questions like, "Are LGBTQ+ folks really welcome in the Singles Ministry?"and "If I did meet someone special, could bring them into this space, that has meant so much, and trust that would not only leave unharmed but knowing that they were loved and truly welcome?"
I didn't have clear questions to any of this, so I stepped out into void and reach out to church leadership. It took time, effort, and intention, but we finally got to a place where we knew has to make a critical shift in how the church operated in order for us to honestly say that we were loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Which brings us to today:
After many years of labor, I am proud to invite you all to an event hosted by Union Temple Baptist Church focused on celebrating LGBTQ+ folks and beginning to directly address the harm that this community has experienced in the Black church, entitled Agape Means Love on Saturday, June 22nd. The following day (June 23rd), the church will consecrate its new LGBTQ+ outreach ministry, the Agape Ministry, which serve as an enduring symbol of the church's commitment to inclusivity, equity, and transformation.
I will serve as the MC for the event. I sincerely hope to see you there. Please share this with anyone you feel may benefit. It's going to be amazing. Details below, please register on Eventbrite:
AGAPE Means LOVE: Celebrating LGBTQ+ in The Black Church
Date: Sat, Jun 22 • 12:00 PM EDT
Location: 1225 W Street Southeast, Washington, DC 20020
Join us for a DC premiere of film,Truth Be Told from Emmy Award Winning Director, Nneka Onuorah, some real talk and community support!
