Andy Stanley’s Atlanta-area megachurch North Point Community Church is facing pushback for a leaked training video that seemingly supports children with gender dysphoria transitioning to a different sex.
In a video clip posted by Protestia, Britt Kitchen, North Point Middle School Ministries director, discusses a family who began attending North Point after their previous church refused to use their child’s preferred pronouns. The child reportedly began identifying as transgender at five years old.
“Everywhere this child went in life, they were saying you are one thing, but only at church they had to pretend to be something else,” Kitchen said in the video. “They had to leave that church, and they finally came here, started talking to our care ministry staff. And we realized, ‘Oh my goodness. We cannot be the last place a student feels comfortable.’”
Kitchen said the family handled the child’s gender dysphoria “so well.” After visiting a child psychologist and medical specialist, the family began using a different name and pronouns at home and later asked close family to do the same.
“Medical interventions” began before the child hit puberty, Kitchen said.
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“If we’re talking about something in middle school, more than likely medical injections are going to be about stopping puberty, as opposed to having a surgery that will probably come later in life,” Kitchen said. “It would be just a matter of, ‘Hey, let’s slow down or stop puberty from even starting for this child.’”
In an April 3 letter obtained by TRR to leaders of Transit, North Point’s middle school ministry, Pastor Reed Moore states that the content in the video “unintentionally mischaracterized our view.” Moore is pastor of Gwinnett Church, one of North Point’s eight churches in the Atlanta area. Moore added that the video also “gave the impression that leadership encouraged transitioning. That is not the case.”
The email also states that the video “did not go through the proper approval process, an issue that was immediately remedied.” It is not clear how it was remedied or if middle school leaders at all North Point-affiliated churches received the letter.
The Roys Report (TRR) reached out to North Point for comment but did not receive a reply. We also reached out to North Point Pastor Andy Stanley, who declined to comment on the situation.
The training video sparked pushback from former North Point attendees and others online.
“This was my church for years. I rocked babies in the nursery. I’m heartbroken, but looking back, I can’t say I’m shocked,” wrote Andi Hill on X. “There was always something that piqued my discernment.”
Another self-described former attendee, Christine Kipp, expressed dismay over the church’s apparent change in direction.
“This really surprises me,” Kipp posted. I attended NorthPoint for several years in the 90s. Andy Stanley and his team was a breath of fresh air. Not sure what happened.”
The leaked video also drew criticism from several right-leaning podcasters. In addition, U.S. Rep. Majorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) said North Point is “confirming Satan’s lie to these vulnerable children” during an April 2 appearance on the “Right to the Point” podcast.
This isn’t the first time North Point has received attention for its views on sexuality. In 2023, the church hosted the Unconditional Conference, which featured several gay-affirming speakers, advising parents and ministry leaders on how to minister to students identifying as LGBTQ+.
The conference sparked debate between Christians who opposed the church’s decision to host it and those who supported it. Critics of the decision included The Southern Baptist Seminary president Al Mohler; supporters included author and speaker Jonathan Merritt, a self-described gay, progressive Christian.
Stanley addressed the controversy at the time, saying, “Biblical marriage is between a man and a woman.” But he also said that for many gay people, a chaste life is “not sustainable, so they choose same-sex marriage—not because they’re convinced it’s biblical . . . They choose to marry for the same reason many of us do: love, companionship.”
After this latest controversy, some online posted concerns about North Point’s seeming lack of clarity on LGBTQ issues.
“While it’s amazing that the church addresses sexuality and identity and not brushing it aside and wants the church to be welcoming, however, the way they go about it is questionable,” posted commenter Emmerson Stephens. “In the training video, they do not use scripture once. Church leaders need truth, not vague affirmations.”
Ann Marie Shambaugh has reported as a print journalist in multiple states, including currently in Carmel, Indiana.
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53 Responses
Becket Cook (a follower of Yahshua for 15 years, now, since age 42) interviewed Joe Rigney yesterday on his podcast. Joe’s book: “The Sin of Empathy’ explains much of this distorted sense of “love” that folks use as terminology for supporting what Yahshua and His Father state are abominations. May all come to repentance as we prepare to meet our soon returning Bridegroom Yahshua!
I especially hope “christians” who are intent on kicking people out of the kingdom instead of loving them and worrying about the plank in their own eye repent and prepare to meet Jesus.
We aren’t kicking them out of the kingdom; Jesus is, and it’s our job to lovingly warn them of the peril they are in, not to pretend the peril doesn’t exist.
People love to react to something that is said without contextualizing it. Life is messy and balancing grace with truth is often a judgement call that can go either way. Dining with tax collectors and prostitutes certainly runs the risk of sending the wrong message.
Lauren, I agree….. We have to find a way to speak truth and love into the lies the devil is selling to so many. Christ set the example for us. If no addresses these issues that the church is so afraid will stain them then who is going to be truth and light. It used to be Divorce and abuse in marriage was the red button topic (and sadly still is) that the pulpit avoids in a healing way. Now the world presents us with new challenges and the church has to take a stand for God’s truth but not as if getting in the arena brings leprosy. If not us who?????
You are taking the context and flipping it around. I agree dinning with tax collectors, LGBTQ or whatever isn’t sin. Followers of Christ can not discriminate those who need Jesus. Context however…. When you bring it into the church. That is sin! People too often merge reaching those who live in sin with promoting or accepting that in church. You tried to re-contextualize what Jesus did vs what the church needs to promote.
Jason – I think there is a difference between promoting or accepting sin in the church, and treating sinners with respect when in our midst (e.g., in church). We can hate the sin and love the sinner. It has really saddens me to see any sort of empathy or compassion shown towards sinners conflated with promoting or accepting sin.
Have WE forgotten our own sin? Are we going to act like we aren’t sitting in pews among fellow sinners every Sunday (liars, gossips, the immoral, the prideful, etc) and just pin point THIS as the one that’s “unacceptable”?
Yes, let’s make sure that compassion (along with the dreaded empathy) stays out of the church. Jesus was just simply wrong when he coddled all those sinners by treating them like human beings and restoring the dignity that was robbed from them by the religious establishment of his day. He was plain too soft! We need a pugilistic brand of Christianity if we are really going to stay in charge!
What can I say? Jesus Christ came into the World to deliver men/women/children from the wrath to come, and to deliver us from the slavery of sin. The church does not help anybody in condoning/excusing sin but in identifying/denouncing it but also providing the only remedy in the gospel and the Love of God who transforms the heart of the worst of sinners, including this type of delusion. To say that the bigger church knows better is evidently false. Evidently I am angry at how unbiblical the situation is, but also sad that too many leaders lead others into the broad way of perdition for the sake of popularity, convenience, or just to be perceived as understanding. ”For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. (I Thess 2:3-4). If I see a house burning with people still asleep inside the house, the only natural response is to run and awake them before it’s too late.
The article states that some churches are confused by Northpoint’s lack of clarity on LGBTQ issues, but their very actions point out that they clearly support alternative views on biblical sexuality.
Which actions specifically are you referring to?
Hosting people who are pro LGBTQ at conferences, encouraging parents to support their transsexual children…need I say more? I want churches to share the hope of Christ and the freedom he gives with the teams and gay community, not encourage them in their sinful practices.
(This doesn’t apply just to transgenderism but a variety of topics.) In too many cases I see this view that someone is either against something or support it (implying some kind of active support.) It’s polarizing, and leaves out the possibility of just acknowledging others being able to live their lives as they see fit. (Again, either for gender transition, or other hot topics) you don’t have to approve, or even want it for your own family, to acknowledge that others don’t have to run their households just as you do and let them do what they do.
It does seem to me that a video encouraging using someone’s preferred pronouns, this is not supporting sex transition, it’s just supporting calling people by the name and title they prefer to be called. I do realize there are individuals, and congregations, who don’t want to even do this; well, fine, you have your congregations and more open minded people have theirs.
(disclosure – I’m a transgender Christian)
Henry, you’re making good points! And what’s strange to me about this is that Julie herself says that her policy is to honor names and pronouns, so I’m not sure why the article is framed this way.
Believe me, I’d love if Andy Stanley actually did support LGBTQIA+ people – but he doesn’t.
So this is a story about a church that simply allowed a trans girl and her family to feel at home in their community. Even if a church *does* think that it’s sin to transition, what’s the problem with that?
Famously, some called out Jesus, saying “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Today, it seems that call would be, “Why does he eat with the trans and gay folx.” (except neither of those are sin).
This is a key sentence in this article: “Medical interventions” began before the child hit puberty, Kitchen said….So, we are talking about chemical hormones or puberty blockers etc. and the research from Finland, Sweden, the UK etc. (who have been doing this a lot longer than the US) has lead them to reverse their openness to giving kids hormones and puberty blockers….
I feel this way as well.
Just leave people and families alone to live out their lives and respect their choices.
Dear Loren:
If the subject was addressing a secular organization that has nothing to do with God and His Church, perhaps I could go along with your thinking. But the family in question came to the Church, and the Church of God has a responsibility to speak the truth in love, not pacify what we know is CLEARLY against God’s design for Males and Females. God created Male and Female in His image and likeness, and He purposely created distinct but complimentary differences between Men and Women, and neither gender can become the other! And EVERYBODY knows that in their hearts. The Church of God must not and cannot participate in the delusion.
Loren problem is you can not find “I feel this way” in the Bible as well as “respect choices”. When the LGBTQ movement is antithetical Biblical standards.we have lost holiness in the church. The word for believers in New Testament is SAINT. It comes from the same word in the Greek. Meaning. “Set Apart and Otherness”. We are to be set apart from the church as well as set apart to Jesus Christ. I believe it’s good to meet, dine and love those who have chosen sinful lifestyles. In fact, we need to show them the love of Christ. Yet, we cannot allow those “choices” alone. Especially if you care for that person’s soul. The gospel is come as you are but receive a New Identity in Christ. Like the sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50. He saw her as she was, He loved her enough to change (Set Apart from the world)her life and then told her to stop sinning ( Set Apart to Jesus Christ). Ever think when God is like “DON’T”. He means. “DON’t HURT, HARM OR DESTROY YOUR LIFE.” Sin is now viewed as respecting one’s choices. Sadly We have lost the Theology of Sin in the US church. I give you Andy Stanley’s Church.
They are encouraging lying. The are encouraging allowing these confused children to live contrary to God’s revealed will for them, to encourage them to perish in their sins. It is wicked what this so-called church is doing. It is abusive, spiritually and emotionally, because for a vulnerable and confused child it facilitates their delusion and rejection of God and his good design.
Is this about simply calling someone by a different name? Or is it about doing what is best for them? Here is one article about 1000 families planning to sue the gender transition clinic for giving puberty blockes/hormones etc. to young children without counseling, without ongoing support etc. https://www.medscape.co.uk/viewarticle/1000-families-sue-tavistock-gender-service-2022a10021ac
(1000 Families to Sue Tavistock Gender Service). And there are a number of other articles like this…and
And why don’t they tell these children and their parents that a key puberty blocker is the same chemical that used for chemical castration used with pedophiles in prison? “The Center for Investigative Reporting revealed in 2017 that the FDA had received more than 10,000 adverse event reports from women who were given Lupron off-label as children to help them grow taller. They reported thinning and brittle bones, teeth that shed enamel or cracked, degenerative spinal disks, painful joints, radical mood swings, seizures, migraines and suicidal thoughts. Some developed fibromyalgia. There were reports of fertility problems and cognitive issues…Finland, citing concerns about side effects, in 2020 cut back puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors. Sweden followed suit in 2022 and Norway this year. Britain’s National Health Service shuttered the country’s largest youth gender clinic after 35 clinicians resigned over three years, complaining they were pressured to over diagnose gay, mentally ill, and autistic teens and prescribe medications that made their conditions worse.” [https://www.congress.gov/118/meeting/house/117344/documents/HHRG-118-GO00-20240522-SD006.pdf] Maybe, just maybe we need to “follow the real science” before kids are irreversibly damaged, instead of blindly trusting those making HUGE profits off of selling hormones & puberty blockers to kids and their parents.
A very interesting story. Very interesting and thought provoking.
Charles Stanley would NEVER have been okay with this twisted son! It’s not okay to try and re-write God’s Word. Shame on Andy Stanley, and his so-called “church!”
In Matthew 19:12 Jesus said “For there are some eunuchs who were born that way and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.” If you read it word for word the meaning is clear and we don’t need a preacher to explain it.
I believe the school was showing the child acceptance and understanding that people are born that way and of course some church members would get upset because it hasn’t been part of their life experience and they have no interest in widening their world view.
Rachel, sorry being a “Eunuch” in Scripture has absolutely 💯 nothing to do with being a Transgender Person, and neither is that what Jesus intended when He spoke about the subject. In short, In Scripture, a eunuch is a male who is either naturally incapable of procreation, has been castrated, or has voluntarily chosen a celibate life for religious reasons. That’s it! Transgenderism is nowhere in the definition or description.
And the point is there are some biological conditions (chromosome or otherwise) where such a person is transgender and would be considered a eunuch in the ancient world. Same goes for the female equivalent of eunuchs.
My question is simple: what will lead others to Christ? Isn’t that the ultimate goal?
I have yet to see anyone won over with such responses as “no I’m not going to use your pronouns, it’s just a sign you’re mentally ill!” I have my pronouns posted in signatures because my name is unisex (the number of “Mr Marin” messages I’ve gotten is absurd), yet I can place a sure bet that those who respond with nasty questions and accusations are fellow Christians. Luckily I am already a believer because if I weren’t, I can say I haven’t come across very many who respond in any way that makes a relationship with our Lord attractive.
I believe there is a way to meet others where they are and draw them to Christ without right-fighting, accusations and condescending assumptions. (They don’t know the Lord, so we should expect they don’t live like it.) I wish we as believers could discuss how to do that without turning on each other. To those who prefer to lead with right-fighting, I say, “ok, you’re right, so now what?”
Marin, the animosity of the evangelical church in america toward the LGBTQIA in the name of “truth” is baffling to me. I am not gay, but I volunteer at a LGBTQIA peer recovery center because a friend was the site director. I’ve developed great friendships there, and have been able to represent a different kind of christian than the queer community there has experienced. I occasionally talk about my faith when it’s relevant to the conversation, but I’m not there to convert anyone. I’m there to help, and serve, and love. Whether or not that bears any fruit is up to God, not me. But I do my best to live my life in a way that is compelling, and makes people want to know why- because that’s exactly what I see Jesus doing in scripture.
I for SURE wouldn’t be kicking anyone out of church over their kids pronouns, because I’m 100% positive Jesus wouldn’t be doing that.
This is why churches behave the way they do:
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men
10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Timothy 1:8-11 ESV –
Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
Romans 1:26-28 ~
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
I want to agree with you, Andrew. But from my experience, the church has its “favorite sins” to go after, while turning a blind eye to the others. Imagine if the church were this fervent about going after all the sexual immorality (fornication, adultery, etc), idolatry (of self, political party, etc), greed, slander (which includes gossip), lying, and the like happening both in the pulpit and across congregations. These sins are also listed in the verses you posted, yet the church loves to zero in on those same favorites.
From what I see, NOTHING gets the church grandstanding and quoting scripture like homosexuality (well, we can recently add disliking Trump or voting Democrat). It’s inconsistent and hypocritical.
“My question is simple: what will lead others to Christ? Isn’t that the ultimate goal?”
Ecclesiastes 12:13
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
Matthew 22:37-39
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
And that includes treating a family with a transgender child with the same love you’d want and expect for your own.
One can love the sinner and hate the sin.
A church staff member tries to deal with a complex issue with sensitivity and care towards the human beings that are trying their best to find a safe and compassionate way of parenting a child who has an atypical way of processing their gender. How sadly typical of too many Christians to leap to the attack.
Whatever he thinks he is “trying” to do, he is doing the exact opposite of care. Care would be to warn this child’s parents of the peril they are placing him in by letting him pretend to be a girl, and refusing to enter into that delusion by calling him by pronouns that do not correspond with objective, scientific, and biblical fact.
Jason – there is a way to do that by leading with love. I read so many comments that are like “the moment you see this person, immediately blast them for their sin and tell them what’s wrong with their child” with ZERO relationship.
How about building a relationship by loving this family FIRST (which is what it sounds like this church staff member is providing guidance on), and then THROUGH having that relationship with them, correcting and guiding?
The church needs to come alongside this family, not come AT them.
If someone wants to be called something immoral, we DON’T comply. If someone wants to be called Adolf Hitler, we don’t comply. If someone wants to be called a name that clearly doesn’t correspond to their sex at birth, we don’t comply. There’s many reasons we wouldn’t address someone in a disrespectful manner (even if they desire it). Ten years ago a 10 year old boy on a church trip asked me to call him “Moo Moo.” I told him that WASN’T going to happen. I called him by his given name… that some kid had made fun of. I told him it was a fine respectable name.
Eric – given I am someone with a unisex name, who knows men named Courtney and Ashley and women named Mykal (pronounced “Michael”), Elijah, Levi, and Ezra, I’d like to caution you against judging if a name “doesn’t correspond with someone’s sex at birth.”
And many would call it disrespectful to intentionally ignore someone’s request to call them by a specific name. Would you refuse to call Patrick “Pat” because that sounds feminine? I can introduce you to a “Pat” who would have a problem with that. He goes by “Pat” due to both his father and son sharing the same name; it’s their way of distinguishing who you are referring to.
This is why it’s important to have a conversation rather than shut down a simple request with “no i will NOT comply.”
And how would you win someone over to Christ after such a response?
Eric, why would you not want to help a vulnerable 10-year old to feel more safe and confortable??
I am so relieved that my kids will not have you as a leader on their church trip, if you refuse to use someone’s nickname that they are requesting, to avoid being bullied because of their real name. That is sad. That type of insensitivity is what causes children to feel unsafe around their Christian authorities, and big picture, is turning people so many people away from Christ. Btw, telling him that he had a fine respectable name, I assume, would mean nothing coming from someone who didn’t seem to respect his wishes.
I am proud of the people at North Point who are trying to reveal Jesus’ love to this hurting child and family in the best way they know how. God bless them all.
As a parent of an LGBTQ child, I can say without hesitation that the evangelical church has not made enough space for this conversation. This isn’t just about sexuality or doctrine—it’s about people, families, and the credibility of the Church’s witness. Too often, churches avoid hard conversations, unwilling to sit with complexity or listen without an open heart. That silence is doing real harm.
Parents who choose their children aren’t choosing rebellion or compromise. They’re choosing love over dogma, presence over politics, and compassion over the bigotry too often baptized in the language of faith. And once that choice is made—as it should be—they’re left holding deep, unresolved theological questions that can’t be fixed with another take on scripture or by simply “praying harder.” Most find that the Church isn’t equipped to walk with them through that tension. And when things get too rainbow, even longtime friendships quietly vanish.
Meanwhile, our kids—many raised in the church—internalize a version of “Christian love” that feels like shame, silence, or outright rejection. The result? LGBTQ youth who are not accepted by their parents are eight times more likely to attempt suicide. That’s not just a stat—it’s a flashing red warning we can’t afford to ignore.
I’m grateful for leaders like Andy Stanley and churches like North Point. They’ve had the courage to do something many of Christ’s most ardent followers won’t: open the door—just like He would.
Very well said. Being “quick to listen” is what makes Stanley behave like a pastor, not a politician. The suicide statistic should be a head’s up that this isn’t just people willfully ignoring biblical standards. Stanley refuses to turn a blind eye to this reality and leave hurting families to try to figure it out on their own. I confess I don’t know what the right way to handle a situation like this is. But I suspect erring on the side of grace isn’t the apostasy many think it is.
Loren, thank you for your openness to this dialogue and for leaning toward grace. That posture alone sets you apart in a conversation that’s too often defined by certainty rather than humility.
I also appreciate your naming of the suicide statistic—it should be a wake-up call. But I think it’s important to go one step further: the idea that someone would rather end their life than face rejection from their parents because of their sexuality reveals something deeper than just emotional fragility or rebellion. It reveals that rejection cuts so deep that existence itself feels unbearable for them. That’s not drama. That’s despair.
And here’s where we need to push back on a common assumption in the church: that being LGBTQ+ is simply a matter of choice. That narrative doesn’t hold up when you actually listen to people’s stories. While there may be complexity in how identity unfolds for each person, for most, it’s not about rebellion or lifestyle—it’s about acknowledging something deeply rooted and enduring. By the time someone is facing rejection from their own family or faith community, they’re not “choosing sin”—they’re choosing to stop hiding. Reducing that to a willful act only deepens the pain and keeps us from offering the compassion Christ modeled.
I think you’re right. Erring on the side of grace isn’t apostasy—it’s Christlike. And maybe it’s time we admitted that if grace feels scandalous to us, it probably means we’re finally starting to understand it.
Well said, Jeff. I am also a parent of an LGBTQ child. I agree–Jesus always chose love over dogma (or “law” in that context) and your child is blessed to have your Christ-like support.
Jason, as I said to Jeff, going along with a young child’s confusion and dysphoria is NOT Love! Jesus would never make anyone who is spiritually unwell to believe that everything is okay. He called people to repent of their sin and rebellion. Homosexuality and Transgenderism is not dogma, they are Moral and deals with the sickness of people who would pervert authentic human sexuality.
Wayne, it seems we disagree about the definition of “authentic human sexuality” (among other things) whihc means debating back and forth is just not productive. I hope that if you have kids and one or several of them are LGBTQIA+ (and if they have the courage to share that with you despite the fear they may feel) that you will embrace them with grace and love, and journey with them gently. God bless.
Wayne, I don’t reply to change your mind. I’ve learned that rarely happens in the comments section of articles like this. But I believe there’s value in furthering the conversation—not to debate, but to demonstrate that there is more to be said beyond the typical Christian “drop-the-mic” moment.
You reference Jesus’ supposed stance on gender and sexuality, but the versions of Scripture I’ve read show no such red-letter commentary. Jesus said nothing about homosexuality, and yet, much of the modern church speaks as if He couldn’t stop talking about it. That’s telling.
You also mentioned that my daughter’s sexuality is a perversion of “authentic human sexuality.” I find that a strange assertion—odd, even. How does her identity affect your heterosexuality or anyone else’s? The idea that someone else’s existence and orientation somehow threatens your sense of self isn’t just inaccurate—it borders on invasive. It’s as if you’ve made her sexuality about you, and that’s a dynamic I’m not sure you’ve thought all the way through.
I’m a father who loves his now-adult daughter not despite who she is, but because of who she is. That love doesn’t make me weak in faith—it makes me more like the Jesus I read about. The one who opened doors, listened more than He lectured, and walked with people rather than pushing them away.
I’m not asking you to agree with me, but to consider that maybe, just maybe, this conversation deserves more light and less heat.
Jason, I appreciate knowing you are there, and that you, too, have walked this path. I think we need to light it more.
Dear Jeff:
If you go along with your children’s delusion, thst is not showing love and nor is it compassion.
You say that going along with my daughter’s “delusion” isn’t love or compassion. I’m not sure you understand the weight of what you’re saying—or the cost of believing it. I’m not here to argue theology. This is my cause, not because of ideology, but because I’ve stood at the edge of the unthinkable and had to decide what love actually looks like when it’s no longer theoretical.
Let me step into your worldview for a moment—the one where my approach to parenting isn’t loving or compassionate. I’d like to paint a picture, and I genuinely invite your response:
How do you live out your WWJD bracelet in this moment?
It’s just after 6 AM. The sun is rising, but everything feels dark. You and your spouse have spent the night in the ER, hoping your lesbian daughter pulls through what appears to be a suicide attempt. She opens her eyes—groggy, scared, fragile—and looks to you, unsure if life is worth continuing. You have seconds to tell her something real, that she matters, that she’s loved.
What are your words?
When you hear a parent of an LGBTQ child say, “I choose my child,” it’s not abstract. That choice is made in moments like these, deep in the trenches, when theology gets quiet, and your child is on the edge. When you speak either life or condemnation.
My wife and I have been there. We’ve felt the trembling hands and crushing fear. I can tell you that quoting Leviticus or calling her a delusion would have been the final blow.
We chose love. We chose grace. That’s what our Jesus would have done.
So again, Wayne—what are your words?
You can love people, without condoning or justifying sin. Jesus ate with sinners, but never condoned sinful behavior. “Go and sin no more”.
I don’t think the tax collectors or prostitutes are being attacked in this case. It’s the ministry that is being rebuked for abetting sin in the name empathy.
The pharisees weren’t attacking the tax collectors either. The problem was that God incarnate wasn’t afraid to associate with them. Jesus had a remarkable way of meeting people where they were at, intellectually and spiritually, then prodding them in the right direction with the right questions as they were able to hear. It’s a strategy that seems to bear fruit. Professional counseling recognizes this too. It’s not effective to simply tell folks what they should be doing and assume they have the capacity to do it. Some may, perhaps even supernaturally. But when your eyes and ears tell you that overwhelmingly this is rare, how can we assume these folks have the capacity to do the “right thing” but are simply refusing to do what’s biblical?
The church door should be open to all.
Love should be shown to all.
Jesus will meet you where you are at.
But you should be a new creation after accepting him. Born again.
I don’t think any member of the body of Christ would have a problem with any of this. I hope not.
Revelation clearly rebukes the seven churches for tolerating openly rebellious and sinful behavior. As brothers and sisters in Christ we are tasked with holding each other accountable and helping each other remove sinful behavior from our lives. In love.
I think the problem arises when within the Church, it is considered loving to say that sinful behavior is ok. If every individual is allowed to define sin, then no one would be a sinner, and there would be no need for the cross.
We all sin, and need our savior Jesus. The sacrifice he made for us. But as believers we should be striving for obedience, and encouraging others to do so out of love.
Again, I think this is rebuking the ministry policy, not hating people outside the church. I don’t see it being loving in any way to tell people that some sins are just fine.
“As brothers and sisters in Christ we are tasked with holding each other accountable and helping each other remove sinful behavior from our lives. In love.”
Jay, this is precisely what we are trying to do when we help Christians and churches remove sinful pride and judgement from their lives. Christian are driving LGBTQ+ youth into deep depression, anxiety, and skyrocketing rates of suicide. THAT is the fruit of these beliefs and actions. I have never seen positive, life-giving fruit come from telling LGBTQ+ folx that they are sinners and need to repent and change, even if you supposedly do it “in love.” Have you? I’m genuinely curious. When have you done that and had it result in someone drawing more near to Christ and the church?
Living the way of Jesus brings life, not depression, anxiety, and suicide.
Too many rationalizations for trying to contextualize the Biblical “hard sayings”! Yes, we may be intelligent, but “ there’s a way that seems right to a man” but in the end of non-Biblical counsel, no matter how intellectually/empathically stated, or seems to be supported by some science it is, it still leads to death. There is no wisdom, or understanding, or counsel against the Lord.” Proverbs 21:30
Ava, there are millions of us who are tired of the rationalizations for interpreting the Bible using a white, western, modern, patriarchal hermenuetic. That slippery slope has led to us turn away refugee families at the border who are fleeing violence, to harm our beloved and fragile LGBTQ+ children, to suppress women, and many other anti-Christ atrocities.
Btw, speaking of science, the Old Testament writers thought the earth was flat. Christians believed that for hundreds of years, because that’s what the Bible taught. It was science that later taught us the earth was round. Sometimes it’s our understanding/interpretation of the Bible that needs to shift. Do you agree?