This Saturday I was privileged to speak at the ordination of a man I believe will be a wonderful minister. That man, Scott Anderson, happens to be the first openly gay person ordained in my denomination, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), since a historic policy shift last July.
Scott's congregation in Madison was bursting with celebration during the service. However, not everyone in our denomination felt joyful.
I understand this distress because, as a lifelong conservative Christian, for most of my life I would have felt the same way.
When I was ordained in 1984 I believed that, with pastoral compassion, gay and lesbian people could become "normal" through repentance and prayer.
Encouraged by colleagues and friends, I spoke and wrote on this topic. I even helped change our church constitution to prevent gay and lesbian persons from becoming ministers -- the very policy that was recently eliminated by a denominational vote.
But in the last decade, I began to discover that God had other plans. Out of the blue, opportunities opened for serious conversation with gay and lesbian Christians.
I'll never forget a conversation I had in 2001 with a gay man who was in a committed, long-term partnership. I had been arguing that his relationship was sinful when he said, "My relationship is the part of my life that demands the greatest sacrifice and stretches me the most in my ability to love. I believe in confessing and repenting my sins. I work at it regularly. But far from feeling sinful, this area of my life that brings out the very best in me."
I felt shaken, thinking this was exactly how I would describe my own marriage to my wife.
A few years later, I met another gay Christian man who was a leader in an international evangelical conservative fellowship. Uncomfortable with his same-gender attractions, he went through every therapy program available and prayed fervently for a cure. None of it worked. When I spoke with him, I remember him saying, "I feel that God doesn't care about me."
If I know one thing, it's that Christian faith, properly understood, doesn't destroy people. Yet, this man was just one of many I met who followed this course to despair. How had the accepted pastoral response so utterly failed these deeply faithful Christians?
The only answer was to return to the Bible. To my surprise and chagrin, themes began to emerge I hadn't noticed before.
When God creates the world and declares it "very good," God also says, "it is not good that the human being should be alone." Genesis describes God's creation of human beings for intimate fellowship with another person. This is not something we can reverse or undo. It is deeply inscribed in our nature.
I learned that the original languages of the Bible didn't even have words for gay or lesbian. Whatever the Bible was speaking against, it wasn't the long-term, faithful, egalitarian partnerships we know today.
I believe now that this was the beginning of a journey God had planned for me all along.
Today, I call on my fellow Christians to join me in celebrating that a gifted servant enters ministry. That Scott Anderson is a gay man in a committed relationship -- and that he has waited decades for this moment -- only enhances his gifts, which include patience and Christ-like compassion.
And it is because of the authoritative Word of the Bible, not in spite of it, that we can rejoice in the good fruit Scott's ministry will bring forth.
To those who still fear this moment, I only ask that you open your heart and your Bible. God will take care of the rest.
The Rev. Dr. Mark Achtemeier is a Minister of the Word and Sacrament residing in Dubuque, Iowa.
This piece originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.