While a minister of the faith may say that his church is accepting and welcoming of the gay and lesbian worshiper, I have found that the congregation the minister serves may not always feel the same way. I have found that the congregation tends to be more reserved in rural America than the preacher may be. It is common for the minister to have come from a more liberal city atmosphere and find a congregation in the more rural area. This is common across the country because the school of theology tend to be in more urban cities to get more bodies in the doors. The congregations these future ministers may serve however tend to come from rural America.

The disparity between these two things can be seen openly or sometimes behind closed doors. As I continued to look into the congregations in my area, I spoke with some acquaintances who are Christian and Catholic. They are allies of mine, but they are all straight. They say that while the town may give a face of tolerance, behind closed doors it is another story. Often times, the same people who are welcoming and accepting of me and other gay lesbians to our faces, behind their doors the ‘F’ word comes out and other common derogative are used. They feel there is nothing wrong because they are welcoming me in public and not causing me troubles. What goes on behind their doors does not affect their public image, or so they thought. Various readers have contacted me and let me know that similar instances happen to them. They have told me how the preacher may not preach fire and brimstone, but the congregation hates them all the same. They say that they cannot come and worship without believing in everything the bible says. I feel for these blind people. And what I mean by blind is that they are blind with their own intolerance and ignorance. That is another topic, and will be discussed in future articles.

While I have gotten a lot of response about my previous article, I realize that not all of our experiences are going to be the same. In the first article, I focused on the preachers and their preaching style. I focused on whether or not they are welcoming and accepting at the same time. My advice from that article is also relevant to this article. Do your homework. Check out the congregation. Chat with people who are part of that church. If it feels wrong, then maybe that congregation is not right for you. Many churches out there like the MCC, the Universal Unitarians, Reform Judaism, Dignity, and others welcome and accept gay lesbian congregants. They might not all be available in all rural areas, but check them out. Some offer web-casts and other discussion/web groups to help would-be worshipers out there.

Do not let a few people take you away from you ability to worship. Hiding in the shadows may not always be the right thing to do. In other cases, not going to a congregation might be the safest and right thing to do. I hope that you find whatever it is you need and want. Every person deserves the right to worship G-d in her/his own way, and should not be shunned or turned away.

Ha-Shem’s Blessing to you my readers!

Jase ;0)

Jason P. Ruel
Editor, Gay Lesbian

**************** For Further Reading on the Subject ***************************