‘I am a local church pastor, who is conservative on LGBTQ+ issues. Here’s how I advise families.’

Have you ever wanted the ground to swallow you up? As a Pastor, I’ve had this feeling many times. When sharing the gospel is concerned, the question of ‘What about same-sex relationships?’ is never far away. It’s in these moments the desire for a sinkhole can increase rapidly.

On one occasion, a family member asked my view as a Pastor on same-sex relationships. I sensitively gave a short reasoning as to why I could not see any relationships permitted other than between one man and one woman in the Bible. Although I emphasized the love of God for all people, he replied, “Oh so you are a homophobic Pastor”.

Whilst said in jest, this is often the conclusion many will come to of Christians who cannot affirm same-sex relationships from scripture. Yet, this could not be further from the truth… most, like me, want to affirm the LGBTQ+ community. Why wouldn’t you? I have both close friends and family who identify as gay and transgender; I adore them and would love to celebrate their relationships. My stance has nothing to do with prejudice or phobia… It all comes down to scriptural integrity and my love for God and humanity.

So, how do I advise my congregation as a conservative pastor on LGBTQ+ issues?…