A Way Forward for Discernment in Congregations: LGBTQ+ Inclusion Discernment

Christian congregations and denominations are increasingly struggling with questions of LGBTQ+ inclusion. The questions of hiring ministers who are LGBTQ+ persons, including LGBTQ+ persons in leadership, and conducting LGBTQ+ marriages are just a few of the discernment discussions that congregations...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Helen Harris, Gaynor Yancey, Kimberly Dawson, Jess Gregory
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/3/191
Description
Summary:Christian congregations and denominations are increasingly struggling with questions of LGBTQ+ inclusion. The questions of hiring ministers who are LGBTQ+ persons, including LGBTQ+ persons in leadership, and conducting LGBTQ+ marriages are just a few of the discernment discussions that congregations are considering. This article reports on the findings of 97 interviews in 21 congregations reporting on their own discernment conversations. Researchers identified commonalities and differences in groups of congregations with processes that participants saw as instructive. This article is the third in a series of three: common models in the literature, lessons learned from the 97 interviews, and potential processes for congregations considering discernment.
ISSN:2077-1444