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While growing up in the inner city of Chicago in the 70's and 80's and going to high school in Michigan, I remember seeing very few people who were homosexuals and virtually none who were transgender. Occasionally, there was one male in most families, in our community, who was thought to have feminine ways and depending on the population of the high school, maybe one or two effeminate males in our Michigan high schools. Unlike the norms of the Millennials today, the presence of homosexuality was simply taboo. Like most things in life, what humans do not understand, we usually fear and judge out of ignorance. In 2002, I started a church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. To my great surprise, at least fifty percent of the congregation were either "gay" or had immediate family members who were "gay." They came to the church, regularly. Out of my fear and lack of knowledge, (since I grew up in a generation where homosexuality was virtually unheard of), I would find a way to insert the Divine judgement of Sodom and Gomorrah whenever I knew a homosexual was sitting in Service. It wasn't because I wanted every "gay" person to think they were going to hell. It was because I had never seen so many homosexuals from where I was from and it seemed they were coming to the church I was pastoring to make a point to me. I was going to let them know, that I was definitely not having it at the church I pastored. One night, the Lord impressed upon my heart that many of the "gays" in the community were coming to my church because they knew I would give them the truth. I believe the Lord was directing me to stop beating them up and love them. I obeyed God and set aside my seemingly homophobic attitude. I began treating them as I would anyone under God's care. Anyone who says they do not have stereotypical ways and mindsets are fooling themselves. It takes God many years to truly cleanse us from the hatred, racism, and ignorance we learned as we grew up. I learned that the homosexual community who attended my church loved God with all their hearts and many of their stories were horrific. They already knew their lifestyle was not in line with God's Word and they truly desired to do His will. There is no seminary or Bible college that can really prepare a person for real life ministry. It is "on the job training" and only those who have God's heart will lead the people without doing too much harm because of our own personal issues and biases. I welcomed many "gays" who came to church deep in the grip of homosexuality and they were able to change their lives and do their best to live according to the Bible, by the grace and power of God. They were talented, faithful, and the kind of person every pastor prays for concerning commitment and loyalty. The problem is never God or His Word. It is always His representatives who are still under construction. There is much the homosexual community has to offer the Body of Christ and it is the Christian's assignment to properly reach them through God's grace and love and lead them to eternal life. It does not matter if you believe a person is born homosexual or not because we all must be Born Again.
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