Spiritual vitality is the quality of life when you live from the knowledge that you are included, beloved & free. This is what you were made for and what Jesus reveals when we learn to follow His way. Discover practical personal and spiritual growth, and participate in what God is doing in the world, as you apprentice yourself to Jesus. Marc Alan Schelske is your guide on this journey. More information at https://MarcAlansSchelske.com
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Spiritual vitality is the quality of life when you live from the knowledge that you are included, beloved & free. This is what you were made for and what Jesus reveals when we learn to follow His way. Discover practical personal and spiritual growth, and participate in what God is doing in the world, as you apprentice yourself to Jesus. Marc Alan Schelske is your guide on this journey. More information at https://MarcAlansSchelske.com
Navigating Toward LGBTQ Affirmation (or How I became an Affirming Pastor) (TAW060)
The Apprenticeship Way with Marc Alan Schelske
46 minutes 4 seconds
4 months ago
Navigating Toward LGBTQ Affirmation (or How I became an Affirming Pastor) (TAW060)
Episode 060 - Navigating Toward LGBTQ Affirmation (or How I became an Affirming Pastor)
My journey from the Traditionalist view to becoming a fully Affirming pastor, with a perspective on a Gospel path to full Inclusion. This is a recorded version of the same presentation I gave at the Open Table Conference School of Theology in Sunriver in June of 2025.
Show Notes
In this episode, Marc Alan Schelske explores the complex relationship between faith and LGBTQ affirmation. Through personal stories, theological reflection, and the teachings of Jesus, he explains his own journey from the Traditionalist position to a position of full welcome, inclusion, and affirmation.
Takeaways
Marc, like many of us, had never really investigated the claims of the Traditionalist position that justified exclusion.
The resources for in-depth study on this topic, including all the relevant scriptures, are provided in a downloadable resource for free.
The Gospel, which is the narrative of Jesus' life, acts, teaching, death, and resurrection, is meant to show us the true face of the Father so that we can set aside the false images we project onto God.
Jesus' life shows us over and over that God's nature is to include those on the margins, rather than protect hard lines of exclusion.
Recommended Resources
Blog Version of my School of Theology presentation on John 13, The Foot Washing.
Downloadable 11-page PDF Resource: Navigating LGBTQ Inclusion
The Open Table Conference
Information and Registration for Fall Class: A Gospel Path to LGBTQ Affirmation
Email Marc at Marc@MarcAlanSchelske.com to get on his invite list for the weekly writing sessions at Slow Pour or the twice-monthly virtual co-writing sessions.
Scroll down for a full transcript of this episode.
You can also watch and share the video version on YouTube.
More about My Conversation Partner
It's me. Hi. I'm the problem, it's me.
Marc Alan Schelske is a happily recovering fundamentalist praying for the restoration of all things. He writes and teaches about spiritual maturity, emotional growth, and the other-centered, co-suffering way of Jesus. His books, including Walking Otherward, Journaling for Spiritual Growth, and The Wisdom of Your Heart, can be found at www.MarcAlanSchelske.com. Marc serves as the teaching elder at Bridge City Community Church in Milwaukie, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, where we work to keep all things, even Christianity, a bit weird.
The Writers Advance - A weekend to help writers write. November 13-16, 2025. For more information, see: www.TheWritersAdvance.com
Transcription
Marc Schelske 0:03Hey, friends. I'm Marc Alan Schelske, and this is The Apprenticeship Way, a podcast about spiritual growth, following the way of Jesus. This is episode 60: Navigating Toward LGBTQ Affirmation (Or How I became an...
The Apprenticeship Way with Marc Alan Schelske
Spiritual vitality is the quality of life when you live from the knowledge that you are included, beloved & free. This is what you were made for and what Jesus reveals when we learn to follow His way. Discover practical personal and spiritual growth, and participate in what God is doing in the world, as you apprentice yourself to Jesus. Marc Alan Schelske is your guide on this journey. More information at https://MarcAlansSchelske.com
