Grace-Filled Wisdom for Church Leaders Navigating LGBTQ+ Realities Part 1

Genesis 3:6, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."    

"Wisdom is the quality of discerning what is true, what is ethically right, and what should be done in different situations." [1] 

Wisdom for What is Right

If you are a Christian leader, you have likely sat across from a hurting person sharing these stories:

“Pastor,” in tears, “my daughter just came home from college and told me she thinks she is a lesbian. We don’t know what to do.”

“Pastor,” with downcast eyes, “I’m over thirty and not married. Am I doomed to a life of singleness?”

“Pastor,” in anger, “my son just put on Facebook that he is gay and dating some guy—for all the world to see. We are so ashamed. People will ask me about it. What do I say?”

“Pastor,” in confusion, “a seventh-grade girl told her small group she is bisexual and has a crush on another girl in the youth group. Should we let her come on the overnight retreat next month?”

“Pastor,” in hope and trepidation, “my partner and I would like to dedicate our beautiful one-year-old daughter, Charis. Would the church let us do that?”

“Pastor,” in fear and concern, “I think one of the children’s workers is gay. Should we let him continue to volunteer in our children’s ministry?”

It would not be hard to list dozens more “Pastor, . . .” questions like these that test our spiritual discernment on how to lead our churches well through this time of sexual questioning. Ultimately, the gospel of Jesus Christ is at stake because the unchurched, especially millennials and Generation Z, are keenly watching how churches respond to LGBTQ+ people and their concerns.

My heart is to help you navigate these turbulent waters. I hope that by the power of God local churches will become:

 • Loving communities where LGBTQ+ people can feel wanted and welcomed and can flourish in the life that Christ offers them by the Spirit.

 • Pillars of truth where the foundations of marriage are respected as being a lifelong one-flesh bond between a man and woman.

 • Lights to the world who shine brightly with love and justice for all people because we are compelled by Christ to radically love family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers despite our belief differences.

May we better navigate our churches with spiritual wisdom and Christlike love.

In a time when sexual norms are changing rapidly, how can a local church be a place of grace—a loving community for all kinds of people—where everyone can flourish and disagreements are overcome in a Christlike spirit while at the same time staying true to biblical standards? Are you wondering what your role in this looks like? If you would like to dive deeper, grab a copy of “Leading a Church in a Time of Sexual Questioning”.

If you have any friends, pastors, or church leaders who speak Spanish, please consider sharing our Spanish copy of “Leading a Church in a Time of Sexual Questioning” coming soon!