Pentecostal and Evangelical gay and lesbian Christians

15/03/2009

Last week Sydney played host once again to the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and as per usual it stirred some conversation in the media. What has become noticeable over the years of the event is the way in which that conversation has turned from suspicion of the Gay community, to concern over the attitudes of those who oppose the parade.

Even within the Religious communities of Australia attitudes are shifting. For those under 50 attitudes to Gay lifestyles often more closely resembles attitudes in the wider community than it does the stricter attitudes of their Official church pronouncements.

Gay Christian groups such as the Metropolitan Community Church operating independently, and Acceptance, operating within the mainstream, are less remarked upon than they were a few years ago.

If there is a vocal strand of resistance to homosexuality to be found in the community today it tends to come from conservative Catholic and Evangelical protestant traditions, groups who have strangely found they have more and more in common through the years of the culture wars.

Right now we are going to meet several Gay Christians whose spirituality has, for both good and ill, been profoundly affected by Evangelical Christianity. It is a pleasure to welcome Iaian Scott-Wallace, author and curator of “Walking between Worlds”, Penny Davis, and Ben Gresham a practising Pentecostal Christian, who has been through several attempts at re-assignment of his sexual orientation.

It is also a pleasure to welcome one of Australia’s most respected Baptist leaders who has been challenged by experience to think through the issues not only theologically but pastorally. Rev. Rowland Croucher of John-Mark Ministries.

Producer: Noel Debien

listenListen in downloadable mp3 format Guests in this story:

Rev’d Rowland Croucher Director, John Mark Ministries

Iain Scott Wallace Creator of the exhibition “Walking between Worlds”

Penny Davis Profiled in “Walking between worlds”, ministry candidate for Metropolitan Community Chuhrch

Ben Gresham Member of Freedom 2b(e)

Further information: Iain Scott Wallace’s homepage http://www.iainscottwallace.com/ John Mark Ministries (Rowland Croucher’s website)

http://jmm.aaa.net.au/ Online forum for freedom2b http://www.freedom2b.org/phpBB2/ Freedom 2b(e) : GLBTQ people from Charismatic and Pentecostal churches http://www.freedom2b.org/ Ex gay therapy and ministry at Living Waters http://www.livingwaters.org.au/ A life of unlearning blogspot http://alifeofunlearning.blogspot.com/

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Listen here: http://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/stories/s2516719.htm

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