“I stand here, I am Reverend—ordaed, y Lord—Reverend Derek Anthony Terry, and I am a black gay man who misters,” is how Rev. Derek Terry me out to many of his relativ, iends, and members of his ngregatn earlier this year. It’s also how he told the world when his g-out sermon aired last weekend on OWN’s self-help seri Iyanla Fix My Life, as the climax of Rev. Terry’s three-episo arc.
Contents:
- GAY BLACK PASTORS REVEAL 'DOWN LOW' LIFTYL ON NEW 'IYANLA: FIX MY LIFE'
- BLACKS, GAYS AND THE CHURCH: A COMPLEX RELATNSHIP
- A GAY PASTOR EXPLAS WHAT THE BIBLE REALLY SAYS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY
- WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A BLACK GAY PASTOR WHO CAME OUT ON NATNAL TELEVISN
- TOP 5 ANTI-GAY MISTERS ACCED OF BEG HOMOSEXUAL
- ANTI-GAY BLACK PASTORS SAY YOU’RE THEIR ENEMY IF YOU SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALY
GAY BLACK PASTORS REVEAL 'DOWN LOW' LIFTYL ON NEW 'IYANLA: FIX MY LIFE'
While many black pastors nmn homosexualy om the pulp, the choir lofts behd them are often filled wh gay sgers and micians. The fact that gays and lbians often hold learship posn the church is the worst kept secret black Ameri. * gay black pastor *
Two gay pastors, who for years have been keepg their homosexualy secret, will reveal their “down low” liftyl to their fai and ngregatns an emotnal three-part seri premiere of OWN’s Iyanla: Fix My Life, which kicks off on Saturday. But as for Iyanla Vanzant, she hop to spark a larger nversatn about the taboo topic of homosexualy the black church.
“My experience has been whenever this nversatn up of homosexualy the black church, ’s shut down. Pastor Mchell was married wh five children and spent years preachg agast homosexualy, but he was havg affairs wh men.
Pastor Derek never thought his fay, who openly showed hostily toward gay people, or his ngregatn would be acceptg of his secret liftyle. “When I hear myself say, ‘I am a gay man, ’ I feel hurt. After Pastor Derek’s sermon where he discsed his sexualy, Vanzant said they received about 20 letters om ngregants also revealg they were gay or stgglg wh alg wh their sexualy.
BLACKS, GAYS AND THE CHURCH: A COMPLEX RELATNSHIP
Unfundamentalist Christians founr John Shore recently shared a letter om a gay Christian who is stgglg wh his sexualy and fah. Among the many enuragg ments on that post was one om a gay pastor who betifully explaed his unrstandg of the Bible, Christiany, and sexualy. * gay black pastor *
“I don’t know where we get the scripture and the unrstandg that gay people n’t love the Lord or be accepted by the Lord. Evans, who is not part of the show, is also a mister and last year revealed to his iends, fay and -workers that he’s gay. As a hman at Florida A&M Universy, he ran to the altar wh hop of beg livered om homosexualy.
Still, the subject of homosexualy remas touchy the black church. My hope is that will promote greater tolerance and a love for people who are gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenr.
Yet the prence of gays and lbians black church is mon. While many black pastors nmn gays and lbians om the pulp, the choir lofts behd them often are filled wh gay sgers and micians. Wiley is a proment advote of gay marriage.
A GAY PASTOR EXPLAS WHAT THE BIBLE REALLY SAYS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY
Author and pastor John Amanchwu spoke agast a liberal iology that giv "moral equivalency between blacks and gay rights." * gay black pastor *
Print Obama's recent announcement that he supports same-sex marriage turned the spotlight on rervatns many blacks harbor about gay rights. Most polls show Ain-Amerins evenly divid about gay marriage, but the vol opposn, led by preachers, has gaed more attentn.
Woon helped lead the recent mpaign that outlawed gay marriage his state. The virtuosy of gay sgers, micians and posers has been the drivg force velopg popular gospel choirs — even chart-toppg, Grammy-wng acts — that make money for a church, help expand ngregatns and raise the profil of pastors.
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A BLACK GAY PASTOR WHO CAME OUT ON NATNAL TELEVISN
The muny is still reelg after a silent churchgoer put Kim Burrell’s vlently homophobic sermon on blast for the world to see. Burrell’s tira—which featured vulgar remarks about gay and lbian sex and a warng that they would “die 2017”—led Ellen DeGener to ncel the schled talk show performance of… * gay black pastor *
It all happens unr an unspoken "don't ask, don't tell" ctom that allows gay people to be active the church, though closeted, and church to reap the benefs of their membership.
"On the one hand, you're nurtured the choir but you also have to s through some of those fire and brimstone sermons about homosexualy beg an abomatn, " says E. Patrick Johnson, an openly gay gospel sger and thor of Sweet Tea: An Oral History of Black Gay Men of the South.
TOP 5 ANTI-GAY MISTERS ACCED OF BEG HOMOSEXUAL
* gay black pastor *
Patrick Johnson, who is openly gay, says morn gospel mic is largely fed by the artistry of black gay men. Johnson and others believe that morn gospel mic self is largely fed by the artistry of black gay men. Bishop Yvette Flunr of Oakland, Calif., is openly gay and the founr of The Fellowship, an anizatn of black pastors and church openly welg of lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr members.
It was Christiany that monized gay people. " As Johnson puts , "You n't throw a shoe back through history whout htg gay and lbian women and even transgenr sgers.
ANTI-GAY BLACK PASTORS SAY YOU’RE THEIR ENEMY IF YOU SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALY
The Black Church, a ndu for spirualy and social change, has cultivated untls lears throughout history. Wh an creasg number of Black clergy speakg out support of the lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) muny, this legacy ntu. “As preachers, we have to echo a msage of clivy of all people the fay […] * gay black pastor *
" Johnson scrib church choirs as a welg muny wh a muny "where you meet other gay people, so be a form of socializg.
" Commentator Keh Boyk, who is Ain-Amerin and gay, lls a paradox: "The church might be the most homophobic and most homotolerant of any stutn the black muny. " Woon, the pastor North Carola, agre that the prence of gays and lbians choirs or other church mistri reveals the "duplicy and, ankly, the hypocrisy of the black church....
However, Woon sists "we are not all homophobic.