Hello and welcome to the Social Talks, an independent public digital news platform that generates news stories and editorials pertaining to the issues
faced by the contemporary youth. I'm your host, Nettie commercial with today's story
The L G B T Q Plus community has had a long battle with finding safe places for themselves
Father Steven mcclatchey, a gay man has been a priest at ST Jones
the evangelist church located in London Ontario for many years. The following story focuses on his journey as a gay man who found religion
peace and now is a part of a church which is a safe place for the two S L G B T Q Plus community
members. We can only be fully alive in the face of God
If we are authentically ourselves, the person that God created us to be
And in my case, that was a gay man and I've been embraced by the church in that way
Father Steven mcclatchy has been a priest at ST John's the evangelist since 2015
Before he was ordained. He sang as a part of the choir as a graduate student in the early nineties
was struggling with what I saw as the hypocrisy of a lot of organized religion around LGBT two plus issues and other issues
of preaching a gospel of inclusiveness and of love, but not necessarily demonstrate
Uh So I was away from the church for quite a long time
Father Stephen says that although now churches have moved forward quite a lot
it is not wrong for people to ask the church for their stance on inclusivity before being a part of it within them
And I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they will be my people no longer
Shall they teach one another or saying, don't go any place where they want to change you
God does not want to change you. Um And just trust your instincts
Actually, that's what I would say very often. You have a sense, I think as a queer person as to whether this space
this place is safe or not, finding a place which informs your identity as well as your religious belief can be a tad bit difficult
but not impossible. A little bit of love, courage, acceptance and kindness is all we need
for the social talks. I'm your host. Nothing on the show