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S.F. Church Teaches It's OK to Be Christian and Gay

Posted on: Monday, 5 December 2005, 09:00 CST

By Kellie Ell, CORRESPONDENT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Brett Lutz became a Christian in 1980. Seven years later he announced he was gay. He wanted to worship in houses of the Lord but feared Sunday sermons might condemn his sexuality, not embrace it.

That changed when the 40-year-old Lutz found San Francisco's Freedom In Christ Church more than eight years ago.

The small Christian church embraces his sexual orientation and works to bridge the gap between the gay and lesbian and traditional Christians communities by opening its doors to everyone to worship God.

Lutz grew up on a farm in Iowa with "overprotective hippie parents" who worshipped the Earth through paganism. They avoided conventional churches "like the plague because they hated them." Their spiritual philosophy left Lutz feeling as though there was something missing in his life.

He yearned to be part of a conservative evangelical circle to fulfill his spiritual needs. At the same time, he realized his growing attraction towards men.

At 18 he became a Christian and struggled with the concept of being gay and Christian, believing people couldn't be both.

"This has helped me so much to integrate my sexuality and my Christianity," Lutz says of joining Freedom In Christ. "Jesus satisfies my deepest needs."

Freedom In Christ Church, which meets weekly in San Francisco's Western Addition, appears to be a typical church surrounded by other congregations on the same street. This church, however, is the only one with a "Gay + Christian = OK" sign on the front door.

Maria Carvana, pastor of the church since 1997, acknowledges there are other churches in San Francisco that welcome homosexuals, such as Glide Memorial, City of Refugee and First United Lutheran Church. But none are independent churches with an evangelical perspective -- one stressing the importance of faith through Jesus as a way of salvation.

In a room reminiscent of a middle school gymnasium or a meeting room for a support group, worshippers find hard plastic chairs, an overhead projector and bright fluorescent lights, but no altar or religious decorations. Still, as soon as the crowd arrives and the music begins, a new spirit seems to fill the air.

"How many people know it's OK to have fun while you worship?" one churchgoer screams into the microphone.

There is a man behind the piano and another one with an electric guitar. Suddenly everyone is on their feet, swaying to the beat and singing songs in both English and Spanish. In a fragile voice, Lutz, a shipping clerk from San Francisco, describes his youth hanging out with misfits and being misunderstood by his parents.

"There was a war going on in my head," Lutz says of the years before he joined the church. "Being able to resolve the tension -- it has released so much personal, creative, healing energy. Jesus is kind of like my master. I'm his slave."

The church community aims to make individuals feel welcome by accepting their natural sexual orientation, according to Carvana. Carvana, who has been a Christian for more than 20 years, says the church's mission is to share the gospel of Christ with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community that is often left "in the middle" because of the discomfort between the two communities. She says there is nothing in the Bible condemning homosexuality.

"The LGBT community hears all too often that they can't be gay and Christian," Carvana says. "Not true! It's a lie. The words of the Bible have been mistranslated."

Still, the pressures to be straight are tremendous from both inside and outside of the Christian Church. Exodus International, a nonprofit interdenominational Christian organization, is designed to eliminate homosexuality.

But Carvana continues to preach and hopes she can help people recognize their prejudices and stop the hatred towards her community. "God created me gay," Caravan says. "If you have a problem with that, then take it up with God."

David Medina, who has been coming to Freedom In Christ since 1994 with his partner, says the church has changed his life. "This is the only church that gives us what we need," Medina says. "It reaches out to a community that feels rejected.

Timothy Trickett has been an elder with the church for 10 years. "I know with all my heart I am accepted here," Trickett says. He laments many gay people are forced to choose between their religion and sexuality, making some feel extreme bitterness toward the church they once loved.

The nondenominational church, which describes itself on its Web site as "an eclectic mix of people who are from a wide variety of church backgrounds" continues to host events, seminars and social events catering to the needs of the gay community. This year they will celebrate their 14th anniversary, growing from fewer than 10 to more than 60 people, according to Carvana.

Lutz, who credits his studies with the church for bringing him peace of mind, says, "Now I can talk to God about sex."

Source: Oakland Tribune

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