Question 1

What are LOVEboldly's Core Values?

Accepted Answer

God moved into our neighborhood and befriended us while we were still God’s enemies. In an attempt to model God’s self-sacrificial love, demonstrated in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ, we dedicate ourselves towards living the following values.   Offensive Sanctuary: We will not exclude anyone from the table or from the conversation, no matter how inglorious their presence may be.   Treasonous Friendship: We will not permit personal or communal loyalties to ideology, labels, or tribes to prevent us from befriending each other.   Conflicted Conviction: We will not trample over or ridicule each other’s beliefs, even though they make us wildly uncomfortable.   Subversive Listening: We will not ignore or invalidate each other’s stories, knowing that to listen is to invite change in the world’s systems and in ourselves.   Narrative Honesty: We will not shy away from honoring truth wherever it is found.   Insolent Kindness: We will not fail to be good to each other, always honoring the dignity and inherent worth of every human being.   Obstinate Loyalty: We will not give up on or dismiss each other, no matter how angry a conversation makes us.

Question 2

Is it a sin to be LGBTQIA+? Or to be in a same-sex relationship?

Accepted Answer

No.  That said, Christians have varying perspectives on how to interpret what Scripture says about standards for sexual behavior and gender identity.  We leave room for people to disagree about these standards and we do not take an organizational stance on this. Each of us must personally seek God’s perspective on these issues with spiritual and intellectual faithfulness.  We encourage folks who are undecided to wrestle through the confusion and to make it a matter of prayer.  However, no matter our diversity on faithful Christian standards for sexual behavior and gender identity, we maintain that sexual orientation is not inherently sinful.

Question 3

What stance does LOVEboldly take on homosexuality?

Accepted Answer

LOVEboldly's leaders are fundamentally dedicated to honoring the dignity and humanity of all people, and loving and serving one another as Christ loved and served not just his friends, but his enemies as well. Our diversity of views has fostered an environment for us which has served well to facilitate conversation around sexuality and faith, inviting to a variety of perspectives.  That said, LOVEboldly affirms the worth and dignity of LGBTQIA+ people as created in the image of God. We further affirm that LGBTQIA+ are called to marriage and all church offices (including pastor, elder, and bishop) in the same way as straight and cisgender individuals.

Question 4

Does LOVEboldly have a hidden agenda?

Accepted Answer

No. The LOVEboldly team has no agenda to make LGBTQIA+ folks straight, cisgender or to push a “gay agenda” on the church.  We also have no interest in persuading you to revise your theological views on sexuality & gender identity.   Our leaders, volunteers, and community are made up of a healthy mix of both LGBTQIA+ folks and straight folks, both conservatively-minded and progressively-minded alike. Some of our LGBTQIA+ leaders are out and proud in marriages or relationships with a same-sex partner, and some feel called to celibacy or to heterosexual marriage. Some identify as LGBTQIA+ and others prefer different identity descriptors like "same-sex attracted". Some of our straight leaders are affirming, and some maintain the conservative/traditional Biblical view on sexuality & gender identity.   We believe our differences create opportunities for us all to grow in Christlikeness. Regardless of our theological differences, we strive to be actively growing in our lives faith, involved in our churches and faith communities, and taking great personal risks in our spiritual communities and our closest relationships to try to bring a message that is balanced, rooted in a robust Christology, and challenging stereotypes.

Question 5

What does LOVEboldly think about reparative therapy?

Accepted Answer

LOVEboldly categorically rejects sexual orientation change efforts (SOCEs)  such as reparative therapy and “praying the gay away” for two main  reasons:  1) We do not believe that modifying or changing sexual orientation is  necessary for growing in discipleship.  2) SOCEs are based in fear, shame, and manipulation. We are very  concerned by the results we most often see from SOCEs in our friends and  fellow believers.  Many folks have been shamed and harmed through organizations which promote and provide reparative therapy. We are sorry that directing sexual  minorities to reparative therapy programs has been the over-arching witness of the church to the LGBTQIA+ community, and we believe we can and must  do better than this.

FAQ

Contact Us

Contact Info: