Today, we are reflecting on the first year of the Imago Gei podcast. It’s been a little over a year since that defining moment of disclosing my bi identity, and today we are reflecting on the growth and journey this year has brought from the many wonderful guests who opened up an incredible world of theology, therapy, and hope for a more inclusive tomorrow. We also discuss the journey of learning to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, managing the anxiety of being different within our religious communities, and answering the big question of "when all our dragons are slayed, who am I now?" Our co-host for this week is Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. along with yours truly, Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. This week is our concluding podcast for this season of Imago Gei, which has been sponsored by two magnificent organizations that are so near and dear to my heart. I want to give a special thanks to Spectrum Magazine and Alexander Carpenter, in particular, along with SDA Kinship, and Floyd Poenitz, who have partnered with me to bring you this project to amplify LGBTQ voices and LGBTQ theology for a wider audience. If you as a listener are able, please be sure to support these incredible organizations @SDAKinship.org and @spectrummagazine.org

Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle and myself, Kendra Arsenault, discuss on a recent panel hosted by SDA Kinship the role of Spiritual Care amid a mental health crisis. As a Spiritual Care Provider for the psychiatric unit, Chaplain Del Valle works with a team of care providers and specializes in a particular set of interventions to de-escalate and establish a grounded connection. As one of our listeners asked, how do you continue to care for your mental and spiritual health when you’re doubting your faith? What happens when your deconstruction journey takes you down the road of isolation, and you’re looking for ways to connect with self, community, and God once again? Today’s sponsors are Spectrum magazine @spectrummagazine.org and SDA kinship international @sdakinship.org.

Gretchen Van Ness, Civil Rights Attorney and Executive Director at LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc., discusses how the LGBTQ affordable senior housing project took flight and why LGBTQ seniors are a particularly vulnerable population. The Pryde LGBTQ, affordable Senior housing project, is a model for how to support the marginalized, provide justice for the outcast, and begin the work of healing past traumas. You can find out more at LGBTQSeniorHousing.org. Today’s sponsors, Spectrum magazine and SDA kinship international can be found at spectrummagazine.org and sdakinship.org.

Gretchen Van Ness, Civil Rights Attorney and Executive Director at LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc. is the past president of the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts and recognized as one of Boston's top LGBT leaders by Boston Magazine. Gretchen has decades of experience in community activism and representing and advocating for the LGBTQ community. She was part of the major movements in the LGBTQ community in the 90s and 2000s that lead to the Equal Marriage Act in 2015. Today, we’re listening in to her story along with the history of LGBTQ rights and the legislation that continues to impact LGBTQ people today. For those of you who would like to know more about our guest today, Civil Rights Attorney Gretchen Van Ness or about the LGBTQ Senior housing project, stay tuned for next week and check out their website, https://www.lgbtqseniorhousing.org/

This week we are making space to hear Nathon Hilton’s story of being disfellowshipped at his church due to the affirmation of himself and other gay Christians. We also discuss his work in which he looks at the Androgyny of Christ in Scripture, along with other ways that marginalized identities throughout history have made space for their existence by finding their own stories in the narrative of the Bible. Nathon holds a Master of Arts in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory from the University of Salamanca in Spain, in addition to a BA in English and Theology from Andrews University. He is currently translating Alicia Johnston’s book “The Bible and LGBTQ Adventists" into Spanish and focusing his studies on the philosophical and theoretical intersections of literature, religion, and spirituality. I first met Nathon a few years ago back at Andrews, and I am excited to have him share his personal journey of faith through the LGBTQ lens as well as some of his contributions to the world of queer theology. I’m your host, Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. And our sponsors for today’s episode are Spectrum Magazine @spectrummagazine.org and SDA Kinship International @sdakinship.org.

This week on Imago Gei, we are talking about the importance of the "box," as well as the dangers of deconstruction, especially when done in isolation.  Imago Gei is a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity of BIPOC and LGBTQ lives matter. I’m your host Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. along with Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. We will also be discussing some never before heard pieces of Ms. Arsenault’s journey to affirming as well as nuggets of our own deconstructive journey, the benefits as well as the perils. So stay tuned because this is an episode you do not want to miss! We want to shout out to our sponsors for today, Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship. This month Kinship has an incredible lineup of educational panels and opportunities for connection, so if you would like to be a member or are just curious about finding more ways to connect with the LGBTQ community, please check them out at SDAKinship.org. As always, Spectrum Magazine has some of the latest and greatest articles about what is happening in the academic world, so to keep up with some contemporary happenings, please sign up at Spectrum Magazine.org.

On Imago Gei Halloween Special we discuss superstition and the ways it shows up in our spirituality. How do we integrate our encounters with coincidence, intuition, and bad energy with our rational minds, and do we even need to? Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. is our co-host, along with yours truly, Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. In this episode, we continue our Redefine series creating bigger boxes for a bigger God. Today we explore the Salem Witch trials, the superstitious mind, and the bordering lines between spirituality and psychosis. And we end with how connection with Self, God, and Community, are helpful bridges to cross the chasm of belief and how compassion is the tie to what makes us truly human.

This Halloween, we’re talking about spooky encounters and experiences that could be classified as supernatural. How do we determine what’s real, what’s not, and what might be a mental health condition? Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. is our co-host, along with yours truly, Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. In this episode, we are continuing our Redefine series, creating bigger boxes for a bigger God. Today we’re discussing the role of chaplains amid a mental health crisis and ways we can feel more empowered when confronting eerie encounters and things that go bump in the night.

Today we’re tackling the pinnacle of faith and what it all relies on, and that is the belief in God or the belief that there is something out there bigger than ourselves. Sometimes the wounds we receive in communal spaces are so big and so traumatic that we need alternative routes for connecting with God. Picking up the Bible and attending exclusive gatherings like non-affirming churches can often be more triggering for those in the LGBTQ community because of the rejection we have experienced at the hands of religion. Finding alternative routes to God, spirituality, and a personal derivation of meaning and community might mean you blaze a trail off the beaten path. Ultimately, our goal is to give each other space to encounter the Divine at our own pace. Sometimes that might look like deriving meaning from cosmic coincidences or feeling connected to something bigger than ourselves while driving through the vast landscapes of an Arizona desert. Other times, it's simply gathering gems, meaningful pieces of insight, and treasure that we can pass on to a new generation to build a bigger box for a bigger God to dwell in. Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity of BIPoC and LGBTQ lives matter. This week Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. is our co-host along with yours truly, Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. In this episode, we are continuing our Redefine series creating bigger boxes for a bigger God. Happy National Hispanic Heritage month, everyone! There is so much to learn from indigenous cultures of the past and present and the ways we can validate a spirituality that is native to ourselves. Our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine.org and SDA Kinship.org, so if you haven’t already, please sign up for their newsletters, where you will get the latest updates on queer news and happenings or follow them on Instagram @adventistforum and @sdakinship!

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei because the equality and dignity of BIPOC and LGBTQ lives matter. This week Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. is our co-host, along with yours truly, Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. In this episode, we are continuing our Redefine series creating "bigger boxes for a bigger God. "A pillar of faith that could use some remodeling is the topic of Salvation. Today we are exploring the relational dynamic that we have with this concept, not to contend with anyone’s personal relationship with God. Rather we discuss how easy it is to transfer this Savior relationship to the relationships around us and how the pursuit of savior figures can keep us from important stages in adult development. We also discuss the importance of knowing when to ask for help. Sometimes a problem can be too big for one person to solve. We also challenge ourselves to know when to venture into the impossible and how to think responsibly about our futures. Happy National Hispanic Heritage month, everyone! There is so much to learn from indigenous cultures of the past and present and how we can validate a spirituality native to ourselves. Our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship international, so if you haven’t already, please sign up for their newsletters at spectrummagazine.org and sdakinship.org, where you will get the latest updates on queer news and happenings.

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity of LGBTQ lives matter. This week  co-host Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. along with your host Kendra Arsenault, M.Div discuss the ways we can improve relationships and find community through shared values. Spiritual Care Provider Del Valle explores her spiritual evolution through the work of chaplaincy along with a few intriguing stories on how chaplaincy has forced her to bridge divides through common connections. We also continue our celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, exploring insights from Kat Armas' book Abuelita Faith. Our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship international, so if you haven’t already, please sign up for their newsletters, where you will get the latest updates on queer news and happenings.

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity of LGBTQ lives matter. This week we have Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. along with your host Kendra Arsenault, M.Div both discussing the first topic in the Redefine series, where we look at finding bigger boxes for a bigger God. This week we are addressing fundamental belief number one: the Bible is a sacred text. In the spirit of finding community through common values, we’re tackling one of the first central tenets of Christian beliefs, including SDAs, to see if we can turn this belief into a value that can be shared by both Christians and non-Christians alike. In addition to this, we are celebrating National Hispanic Heritage month and beginning our podcast discussing our experience as Latinx LGBTQ persons of faith. Our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship international, so if you haven’t already, please sign up for their newsletters, where you will get the latest updates on queer news and happenings.

Welcome back to Imago Gei a play on the term Imago Dei because the dignity and equality of LGBTQ lives matter. This week on Imago Gei Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. and Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. host the episode Bigger Boxes, Bigger God, where we discuss the limitations of belief to bind us as communities and instead learn how we can begin to find common ground in common values. Further still, we ask how can we begin to find a resolution between our beliefs and our bodies. What do we do with cognitive dissonance, and how cognitive dissonance shows up in our spiritual practices?

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity of LGBTQ lives matter. On this episode of Imago Gei we have Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. along with your host Kendra Arsenault, M.Div discussing the book "Repotting Your Life" by Frances Edmonds and asking the question, What is Enough? We also observe the parallels in our own personal journeys of what it has meant to restart life as open, same-gender loving women, and the obstacles that arise when a person makes a fresh start. How do we begin to redefine joy? God? Faith? Salvation? And Friendship? What pots are you bursting out of and in what areas do you need to be replanted. This week is an introduction to our new series called "Redefine" where we find bigger pots to plant a more inclusive God. Our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship international, so if you haven’t already, please sign for their newsletters where you will get the latest updates on LGBTQ news and happenings.

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity are what we impart when I see the image of God in each other. This week, host Kendra Arsenault continues her conversation with Pastor Alicia Johnston, the author of her new book, "The Bible and LGBTQ Adventists,"where she addresses queer theology and answers a number of questions about the Bible and what it has to say regarding LGBTQ persons, relationships, origins, and marriage. We are picking up our conversation around how institutions often create standards that are difficult for marginalized communities to obtain to and what a more inclusive community of faith can look like. If you’d like an opportunity to win a free copy of Pastor Alicia Johnston’s new book listen to the end and find out how you can win your free copy today!

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, meaning we are all deserving of dignity because we are all made in the image of God. This week I am excited to be sharing this platform with Pastor Alicia Johnston, the author of the new book, The Bible and LGBTQ Adventists, where she addresses queer theology and answers a number of questions about the Bible and what it has to say regarding LGBTQ persons, relationships, origins, and marriage. If you’d like an opportunity to win a free copy of Pastor Alicia Johnston’s new book "The Bible and LGBTQ Adventists" listen to the end and find out how you can win your free copy today!

Today I’m tackling a controversial question. However, it’s not so much an answer that we’re going to arrive at, but a journey we’re going to go on. Was EGW an LGBTQ? Now for those of you listening who are not familiar with Adventist history, I apologize. She was a historical figure in the founding of the Adventist church. I’m not unaware of how negatively and even unfavorably just asking this question might be received. But I really believe it’s important to ask questions, even the questions you think you shouldn’t ask. I recently gave this presentation at the Kinship Kampmeeting, and it all started when I Googled a single question, as I often do, “Was Ellen White an LGBTQ?” For those who may be wary that I’m even asking the question, let me assure you, the results are inconclusive. Culture and language, and expressions of self-identity have drastically changed since the 1840s. So we have to do a bit of time traveling to explore 19th-century same-gendered relationships. While there are no hard claims made at anything, I do investigate a series of private letters that reveal a not-so-public truth. So if you’re interested in going on a journey, buckle up because it’s a wild ride.