Baptism and coming out: How can these things be?
Coming out is a process in which LGBTQ+ people take a leap of faith, trusting in what we cannot see ahead. It is not a one-time experience. It is a multi-layered process that transforms us over time, freeing us to live into our belovedness.
Being trans and terrified
Amid a well-financed and organized reign of terror against transgender people in this country, I'm calling on us to embrace Jesus' radical gospel of inclusion that rejects oppression and celebrates a life-giving and sustaining existence of freedom to be one's authentic self.
From the editor: Greetings from Stavanger, Norway
“Most of the things that matter to our culture didn't matter to Jesus, and most of the things that mattered to Jesus don't matter to us." – Miroslav Volf in dialogue with Baptist World Alliance members gathered in Stavanger, Norway
I am left-handed
When I came out as left-handed, perceptions of left-handedness were just that I used a different hand to write, not that I was damaged or ill in some way. I stood on the shoulders of those who fought for left-handed inclusion and was encouraged simply to navigate and live in a right-handed world, rather than change who I was or live a life of shame.
AWAB and the Black Baptist church
Of the nearly 150 Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB) churches, only 3 are Black Baptist. What accounts for the underrepresentation of Black Baptist churches within AWAB, and how can AWAB address this?