Generous Spaciousness: Responding to Gay Christians in the Church

by Wendy VanderWal-Gritter

Overview

Committed Christians may respond differently to gay and lesbian Christians. How can we engage those with whom we might disagree and navigate our journey together in a way that nurtures unity, hospitality, humility, and justice?

Through her extensive experience in ministering to gay and lesbian Christians, Wendy VanderWal-Gritter has come to believe we need a new paradigm for how the church engages those in the sexual minority. She encourages generous spaciousness, a hope-filled, relational way forward for those in turmoil regarding a response to gay and lesbian Christians. This book offers a framework for discussing diversity in a gracious way, showing that the church can be a place that welcomes a variety of perspectives on the complex matter of human sexuality. It also offers practical advice for implementing generous spaciousness in churches and organizations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781587433559
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/20/2014
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 5.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Wendy VanderWal-Gritter (MDiv, Tyndale Seminary) has been executive director of Generous Space Ministries in Mississauga, Ontario, for over a decade. She is an internationally recognized contributor to conversations about faith and sexuality and is an active speaker. She is currently completing her doctoral dissertation on the theme of generous spaciousness at Knox College, University of Toronto.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction: An Unpredictable Adventure
1. Reevaluating Evangelical Ex-gay Ministry
2. Of Doubt, Tension, and Anxiety
3. The Power of Stories
4. A Complex Spectrum: Views of Same-sex Sexuality
5. Coming Out and the Church
6. The Journey of Discipleship
7. Understanding Holistic Sexuality
8. Our Image of God
9. The Role of Scripture
10. The Challenge of Interpretation
11. A Disputable Matter?
12. Engaging the Church
13. A Word for Pastors and Leaders
14. A Word to Gay Christians
15. A Word to Would-be Gay Advocates in the Church
Concluding Thoughts: Living Into Incarnational Postures

Editorial Reviews

03/10/2014
VanderWal-Gritter, executive director of New Direction Ministries of Canada, charts a middle course in the evangelical outreach to gay Christians. She opens with her personal story of her leadership of the ministry and its move away from Exodus Ministries’ approach of trying to change same-sex orientation. She focuses on the harmful effects of the emphasis on change and obsession with causation of same-sex attraction. After this groundwork, she moves on to consider ways the church can be more open to gay people. She particularly focuses on the struggle toward discipleship, a view of sexuality that moves beyond sex, and how to understand scripture. Throughout, she is gentle in her urging for Christians to be more hospitable and for gays to be clearer about their expectations from any given congregation. Shying away from major debates about the Bible’s stance, VanderWal-Gritter remains faithful to an open if not fully affirming Christianity. Using the stories of individuals from across the gay/ex-gay spectrum, she articulates the complexity of the issues and leaves final solutions open ended. The work will be of particular interest to those in ministry attempting to navigate interactions with gay Christians. (May)

Publishers Weekly