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    Outside the City Gate: “… the Spiritual Awakening of the Lgbtq Christian Church”
    Outside the City Gate: “… the Spiritual Awakening of the Lgbtq Christian Church”
    Outside the City Gate: “… the Spiritual Awakening of the Lgbtq Christian Church”
    Ebook82 pages1 hour

    Outside the City Gate: “… the Spiritual Awakening of the Lgbtq Christian Church”

    By Dr. Selma

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    About this ebook

    Outside the City Gate the second book by Dr. Selma, is a powerful account of what happened to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christian community in Michigan during the mid-1990s and the early 21st century. The book describes what occurred after lesbian and gay church members were excluded from their home churches. After being expelled, excommunicated, tossed out and isolated from their early childhood places of worship many chose to remain true to their Christianity and their gender identities. . Despite the rumblings of rejection, in Michigan there are those in the LGBTQ Christian society that want to worship God. The question is whether God is with lesbian and gay Christians. Is God Spirit and power present with them in their churches and, in their personal lives. Does God move in the lesbian and gay community. This is the story of Whosoever Ministry, its founder and the struggle to find a safe place for Christian worship, free from spiritual abuse and condemnation.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse
    Release dateMar 24, 2014
    ISBN9781491874837
    Outside the City Gate: “… the Spiritual Awakening of the Lgbtq Christian Church”
    Author

    Dr. Selma

    Rev. Dr. Selma is the Founder and Pastor of WHOSOEVER Ministry a church developed for the Southeast Michigan's LGBTQA Christian community. Dr. Selma has developed several public service television and radio programs focusing on such topics as teen suicide, community corrections, mental health and ‘Detroit's Most Wanted’ criminal radio and television broadcasts. She is producer and host of the television program, 'Whosoever with Dr. Selma'. Dr. Selma holds a doctorate degree in Leadership from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her Bachelors and Master’s degrees are from the University of Detroit, Summa Cum Laude. After more than fifteen years of writing proposals and developing treatment programs for community corrections and community mental health, domestic violence programs, she decided that she had to go into her own LGBTQA community to be spiritually active. She wanted to give her heart, her skills and her professional abilities to advocate for people like herself in the LGBTQA spiritual community.

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      Book preview

      Outside the City Gate - Dr. Selma

      © 2014 Dr. Selma. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

      Published by AuthorHouse 03/20/2014

      ISBN: 978-1-4918-7484-4 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4918-7483-7 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2014905388

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

      and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      NKJV

      Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

      MSG

      Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE.

      Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003

      by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Website.

      CONTENTS

      INTRODUCTION

      CHAPTER ONE

      CHAPTER TWO

      CHAPTER THREE

      CHAPTER FOUR

      CHAPTER FIVE

      CHAPTER SIX

      CHAPTER SEVEN

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      CHAPTER NINE

      FINAL THOUGHTS

      INTRODUCTION

      And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:3

      T his is a memoir about gay and lesbian Christians who were driven away from churches, synagogues and mosques as a result of their sexual preference. This inside glimspe of LGBT Christianity boldly adressses the question of whether God is with the lesbian and gay Christian and, tells us what happened to those lesbians and gays who were driven out of churches as a result of their sexuality. Although many were riddled with verbal abuse from ministers, parents, and often their peers, many Christian lesbian and gay people still longed for a relationship with God. Driven from traditional churches and places of worship many lesbian, gay, transgender and questioning Christians did not have a safe place to worship wherein they could be true to themselves. It is not unusual for conflicted LGBT Christians to leave their childhood churches when they wanted to live their true lives outside of the closet. Traditional churches especially in the African American community, have been absolutely intolerant of LGBT worshippers. The older the church, the more traditional, or orthodox, or Pentacostal the church might have been, there has been little tolerance and, no love lost between the hat wearing, pew sitting, hate the sin, love the person, Bible toting, stuck in their way, traditional church members and the LGBTQ Christian seated across the aisle. Just prior to the turn of the 21 st century, one could easily be thrown out of a church, Shrine or mosque for being gay or lesbian, particularly and especially, in the African American LGBT community. Popular, bigoted Christian leaders have often publically deomonize effeminate and masculine members of their congregations. Too often these gay and lesbian choir members are tithers and workers in these ministries. Some gay Christian Gospel singers and musicians have become world renoun recording artists while living closeted lifestyles. To confirm what others in the churches often suspected, was a spiritual ‘no, no.’

      The gay and lesbian Christians wanted more for themselves. Although many suffered the pain and agony of isolation and hatred, many knew that God does not make mistakes. He is perfect. And since God can not make a mistake, He must have meant for us to be here, some knew. Hypocrity was not an option for many of us. People get hurt and hearts get broken when a person is pressured to lie about their gender idenity. Many LGBT Christian simply want to live the best lives they could, in truth and honesty.

      Where could an openly LGBT Christian go and learn more about God and God’s love for His children without spiritual abuse. The message of condemnation preached from too many pulpits drove many lesbians and gays from traditional churches. There are churches that claimed to be ‘inclusive’ and yet the individual members remain largely intolerant of gays and lesbians. Sadly, the transgender community is misunderstood so badly that they hardly even make it to the front steps of most churches. Options were few. But, God has a plan.

      In the Old Testament, Moses went to Pharoah and asked him to "let my people go’ so that they could worship God outside of Egypt, the place of spiritual bondage. Moses was basically asking for permission to lead the people so that they could be free to worship God in the wilderness.

      With much of this as a background, this is the story that began with a vision of a four year old girl from Atlanta, who decided later in her life that all lesbian and gay Christian have a right to worship God without the spiritual abuse and condemnation.

      This book is dedicated to all of the LGBTQ people on our wall of faith, who have fought and died believing that they had no voice and no place to go to worship God and discover His plan for their lives. Despite massive rejection they held on to their faith and believed that God had not left them out and, that they had value in God’s plan.

      This book is dedicated to Rev. Jeffrey because he believed in the ‘Better Life’, that God had ordained for the people of WHOSOEVER Ministry. Pastor Jeffrey remained committed, steadfast and dedicated to the Vision. Pastor Jeffrey is the one that I cried to and leaned on when I doubted myself. He encouraged me and stood with me as we pioneered toward the promise land.

      This book is also dedicated to my beloved Lady Vonne’ who has stood by me and opened my eyes to the things of the Lord before I even knew that God did not hate me. Lady Vonne’ was the first to take me to a church where I first heard that God was not mad at me." She planted a seed, and God made it grow. Thank you Lady Vonne’ for throwing me the ultimate lifeline.

      "And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the

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