🙂 Last year I heard there was now a lesbian minister at the Church that I had grown up in,and was confirmed as a member in 1976, in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. I had left this church since getting married and being involved in my career as a teacher. Lots has happened in my life, struggling with sexuality and leaving the marriage and other huge traumas since my days at that church. After 32 years away from this church, I went back, finally glad that I had found a church where there was inclusivity as part of the mission statement. I had finally found a church where I feel comfortable and accepted, and it was the church where I grew up feeling so alone and miserable, knowing I was different all those years ago.

Members of the congregation who taught me in Sunday school as a child, now I am relating to as adults! I think I am “the only gay in the village”!. However it is a challenge for me , with the ministers, to start taking steps to increasing the focus of inclusivity. Perhaps someone has an idea of how they have built up numbers of gays and lesbians within their congregations, apart from the obious of asking friends along. Has anyone started up a gay fellowship group within their church? love to hear from you. Unfortunately I believe MCC has disbanded in Adelaide.

What a great site! Praise the Lord for the fact that we can communicate all over the world, or locally with fellow gay and lesbian Christians.

God Bless

🙂 Thanks for the reply mobileguy68. It was great to get your encouragement and feedback. I am wanting to hear from other people who are/have been along to a church and felt like the odd one out, as this is what I am finding 🙁 . Of course there is my lesbian minister, but I am quite sure I am “the only gay in the village” so to speak 🙁 . I am looking for ideas about how to increase the ‘inclusivity” in the mission of the Church, from just being part of the mission statement. I am sure it is just needing some good ideas to start making it a place where other gltb people are comfortable and feel safe to go to. The people there all know that I am gay now, and I feel quite accepted. Any ideas?

Also love to particulaarly hear from anyone living in Adelaide.

🙂

Thanks Anthony for the article you sent me. It really is relavant to what I was needing to hear as far as advice about how to exist and go forward confidently as a gay man in the predominantly straight church. I shall keep you up to date as to how things go. Great article. Thanks

Thanks Anthony for that

😀 Hey thanks for the post magsdee. Hope your Easter was meaning ful and fun. Thanks for the quote. God bless you.