Out Philly pastor talks ‘Queer Eye’ experience, church durg COVID-19 - Philalphia Gay News

Contents:

• 'QUEER EYE'S' FAB 5 HELPS GAY FISHTOWN PASTOR FD HIMSELF
• 'QUEER EYE'S' FAB 5 HELPS GAY FISHTOWN PASTOR FD HIMSELF
• GAY LUTHERAN PASTOR HAS PERSONAL AND RELIG STGGLE
• LUTHERAN GAY AND LBIAN PASTORS ARE 'REAL PEOPLE'

'QUEER EYE'S' FAB 5 HELPS GAY FISHTOWN PASTOR FD HIMSELF

And the drivg force behd Atonement beg "the quirkit church FIshtown" is Pastor Noah Hepler, a man who has stggled wh his own inty as a gay man while tryg to navigate his way through a belief system and muny that wasn't aaid to tell him very pla terms that people who acted on those feelgs would be sent to hell whout a send chance. "***For Hepler, his issu stemmed om the fact that he grew up as a closeted gay man a very relig hoehold, one that tght him that all gay people are sted for hell and worse. In nial of his sexual orientatn, Hepler married and beme a pastor of the Lutheran fah, spe the fact that at the time the church had still not changed s views on homosexual clergy (although that has sce changed), and lived what he lled "a lie that I had been told that I had begun to believe.

'QUEER EYE'S' FAB 5 HELPS GAY FISHTOWN PASTOR FD HIMSELF

Wh Antoni, Hepler got out of his fort zone as he was surround by "a gaggle of gays" the kchen. Wh Karamo, was a meetg he facilated wh two other LGBTQ figur the Lutheran fah, Bishop Guy Erw, the first openly gay bishop the church, and Pastor Megan Rohrer, the church's first trans pastor, that opened Hepler's ey to the fact that he was not to blame for his negative experience wh the church and the way s affected his life. Like Hepler, he was raised a strict Christian hoehold and a church that vilified homosexualy.

GAY LUTHERAN PASTOR HAS PERSONAL AND RELIG STGGLE

And for someone who knew at very young age that he was gay — and prayed that God would make him straight — that was a life-alterg experience that he still stggl wh to this day. In a prev season, Bobby had already reckoned wh his issu wh the church — although he still refed to enter the church self — and went to greater tail about how those stggl shaped his life, somethg he was unwillg to do origally, but was forced to when a last mute schle changed land the The Fab Five at Mama Tammye's church Gay, Geia. And so I fely felt more fortable walkg to that church knowg that was a church that accepts the LGBTQIA+ muny and that the pastor was gay.

LUTHERAN GAY AND LBIAN PASTORS ARE 'REAL PEOPLE'

Followg a nversatn the r which he explas to Bobby one example of how posive views of homosexualy have been more or ls wrten out of the scripture — not to mentn his own revelatn durg his time wh Karamo — Hepler do somethg unexpected.

"I jt felt like anybody who's experienced what I have needs to hear an apology, even if 's om somebody who jt reprents the stutn but hasn't actively participated, bee, fact, I heard the same thg om Bishop Guy, who is an openly gay bishop, the day before, " Hepler said of his cisn to speak on his church's behalf. "What viewers didn't see was the full nversatn, which clud Bobby sharg some words of enuragement for the pastor as well as some of the msag he received after the Mama Tammye episo, not jt om others the gay muny who had been harmed by relign, but also om pastors and misters sayg his story helped change their views on homosexualy the church.

"I jt shared wh him a lot of the emails and DMs I've gotten — and I mean, I've sce gotten hundreds and hundreds of them about his episo — om people who have grown up the church that are gay who felt abandoned and hated and not loved and through watchg this episo have been able to have some healg, " Berk said. "You know, I shared some stori wh him about pastors and misters who have msaged me sayg that I've always thought that beg gay was a choice and that gays were an abomatn and evil. And I've learned that growg up and I tght that my church, but after hearg your story and knowg that you begged God your whole life not to make you gay, yet here you are, I've realized that beg gay is not a choice and I'll never preach that hate aga.