Saved in a Gay Church

SAVED IN THE MCC CHURCH

By Jan

In 1983, things seemed to be going well for myself and my lover of nearly 7 years. Oh, we had our arguments but made up and continued on. She and I had a business which was difficult to run because it had problems even before we bought it. She had a daughter of around 13. We had a home and two cars. We both worked full time jobs and made very good money. There was one checking account between the two of us.

We were lesbians, though that was kept secret as much as possible. We opened our place of business once a month as an outreach to other women in our lifestyle. So this became for us a nice way to meet other lesbians.

My lesbian lover and I went to church on Sunday. You see, she was a born again Christian when I met her. We attended MCC, the Metropolitan Community Church. This church ministers mainly to transgendered, bisexual, and homosexual men and women. Questionably dividing the word of God.

Metropolitan Community Church also had a church in a larger City in our state. I began studying the scriptures and really liked what was there. One Sunday, the pastor, who was a lesbian, gave the invitation to receive Christ as Savior. Her sermon touched me and brought tears. When the invitation was given, I raised my hand. My lover was happy for me as I went to the altar. There were about five of us. The minister had us repeat after her our renouncement of sin. Each one of us did what she told us to do. As we left the church, I remember getting the hand of fellowship and congratulations from other men and women there at the MCC church.

My lover and I spoke little as we drove home. This was alright with me because there were millions of questions in my head.

Questions that I hesitated to bring up because I knew they would not be met with reasonable answers. "What am I doing going home with my lesbian lover after just receiving Christ? Can I live this way and for Him as well??" I kept quiet about my newfound relationship with Him but it was very painful. She too was very quiet. We went home in small talk only.

No way did life go on as usual after I got saved at the Metropolitan Community Church. Work continued, but on the way home I often yelled at God, "You can't just leave me like this, you have to tell me the truth." I asked others and they answered me with the idea that if God was so opposed to my lesbian lifestyle, then why did He create me this way? And what about them?? Was God cruel? Did He laugh at our predicament?

For many weeks I poured over the Bible searching for an answer and came up with all the verses that spoke out against my lifestyle. Taking my bible to the friends we had in the MCC church always got me the same such answers, " Look at David and Jonathan, who were lovers." But deep inside me I knew that their love was not the same as the love I had for my lover. She and I stayed together but lovemaking was out because I couldn't bring myself to do this anymore and found all sorts of excuses not to. Kissing was ok but nothing else.

One day, while sitting quietly watching TV, I remembered that once when we had been fighting she had said to me, "What you need is a mother." That had hit me at the time as an insult but now, as I thought about it, there was some truth in what she had said. As I watched the TV, Dr. Charles Stanley appeared on the screen speaking about the crucifixion. He was telling how Jesus took upon Himself the sin of the whole world -- Past, Present and Future sin. I thought of the horror of having mine laid on Him.

The next day my lover and I had a very ugly quarrel while she was getting ready for work. I had been crying out to God for Him to tell me clearly if our behavior was acceptable to Him. The Bible seemed clear enough but telling someone you love that it is over is not an easy thing no matter what you believe. There had to be definite clarity. As she got into her car she said, "You are ruining my life". Suddenly I had the answer I needed.

After she drove off to work, I called a good friend of mine and told him what had happened. I was in tears. He told me to get over to his house right away; don't call anyone else, don't go anywhere else, just get over there. He and his wife got me into their living room and prayed for me to receive Christ again and be free from sin. When I left I knew what I had to do.

The next morning I told her that I wanted to serve Christ so we could no longer be lovers. We agreed to not sleep together and that she would seek other living arrangements with her daughter. It took about a month or more. Since I had started going to a non-MCC church, I told my new pastor who said this was acceptable, and added me to his prayer list for protection and wisdom. All did work out very well. I have been saved and set free from lesbianism since 1984. My God can do all that.

Homosexuality is not immutable or innate. They who tell you otherwise are full of pride and selfishness.

Yes, God can save anyone anywhere, even at the MCC gay Church.

Jan