Georgia Megachurch Pastor Comes Out, By Choice, to Congregation

[astro]

Interesting article from the Village Voice

Jim Swilley, a twice-married, father of four and pastor in Conyers, Georgia, announced to his congregation that he is gay this week as a reaction to the recent rash of suicides by gay teenagers suffering harassment. “As a father, thinking about your 16, 17-year-old killing themselves, I thought somebody needed to say something,” an emotional Swilley told WSB-TV in Atlanta.

Swilley says he has known since he was a young boy that he is a homosexual and could not change, despite the ideas of many religious leaders. “I know that a lot of straight people think orientation is a choice,” he said. “I want to tell you that it certainly is not.” The pastor said his wife of 21 years knew from the start and urged him to go public when they divorced earlier this year.

[Reply]

Neat. Takes courage. Thanks for sharing!

[Mighty_Girl]

An honorable man. Kudos to him.

[Maus_Magill]

Good man. It’s a shame he’ll probably be pilloried by his congregation.

[grimpixie]

I went to their church website to find out more about the congregation and was tickled by this page: About Jim Swilley

I guess they’re still wondering how to respond…

Also, their final Goalseems potentially prophetic

To fulfill the prophecy spoken over CITN many years ago that this church would do something that has never been done before, for which there is no model or precedent, and to continue to discover every day what that is and what it can be.

Here’s hoping…

Grim

[Paul_in_Qatar]

Good luck to him. I know nothing about being Gay, but I do know being in the closet is destructive.

[Zsofia]

Ha! I wondered when I saw the location if it was Church In the Now. I went to college in Atlanta and saw that sign every time I went home and back.

[MsWhatsit]

Class act.

[MeanOldLady]

That made my cold little heart smile. Now if only he would give up the god thing… Kidding! Kidding. Seriously now, excellent move.

[tdn]

Good for him!

[Revtim]

@MeanOldLady

That made my cold little heart smile. Now if only he would give up the god thing… Kidding! Kidding. Seriously now, excellent move.

One step at a time!

[Dangerosa]

I think that is a very ethical move to make.

If I may make a prediction - his church will splinter. There will be those that “leaned more liberal on this issue” to start with that say “he’s a good man, he tried to do what was right, but really nothing has changed and I’m sticking by him” and there will be those that feel betrayed - regardless of their stance on homosexuality - and there will be those who reject him out of hand for what he is and there will be those who thought being gay was horrible who stick by him and discover “maybe it isn’t so bad after all - my Pastor is gay.”

But you don’t build a megachurch unless you are a charismatic guy - and while this will change his remaining congregation, he will retain a congregation. It may be much smaller and end up borrowing service space from a local UCC or Unitarian church (as has happened before), and it will be painful - but this is an opportunity for both Swilley and his flock to discover what their values really are.

[Larry_Mudd]

I was curious about the comment from the “conservative religious blog,” and why it was selected for the article.

Turns out, it’s a pretty narrowly-focused blog, dedicated exclusively to “defending” against the notion that there is any place within the Christian church for gay people. Over there, the bishop is characterized in the first line of the article as “Bishop Jim Swilley, the nephew of deceased sexual predator Earl Paulk…” Hoo, boy, count the problems with that. The posting gets more hysterical as it goes on, if you can believe it.

I think the linked article might have done better to reference some of the comments which characterized homosexuals as “bugs” and “vermin” to be killed; these more succinctly reflect of the spiritual and moral development of the objectors.

[MeanOldLady]

@Larry_Mudd

I think the linked article might have done better to reference some of the comments which characterized homosexuals as “bugs” and “vermin” to be killed; these more succinctly reflect of the spiritual and moral development of the objectors.

There are plenty of relatively normal religious types who think homosexuality is a sin. Maybe the coming out of their pastor will appeal to them. The crazies are already long gone.

[Larry_Mudd]

@MeanOldLady

The crazies are already long gone.

Sometimes it seems like this is so because they’ve got the keys to the bus.

[Ann_Onimous]

Wow! What a brave step for him. That’s awesome!

[Sampiro]

Hmm. I used to pass by CHURCH IN THE NOW all the time (it’s off of I-20 so millions pass it every month) and say it aloud almost every time- it’s such an unusual Flannery O’Connor-esque name.

Major kudos to the Rt. Reverend Swilley, seriously. I won’t be surprised if this is followed by the thread title “Former Georgia Megachurch Pastor Looking For Work” but at least he’s opened a few eyes and done something incredibly honorable.

[Spiff]

@MeanOldLady

That made my cold little heart smile. Now if only he would give up the god thing… Kidding! Kidding. Seriously now, excellent move.

But it is certainly O.K. to wish that he, and every other Christian, repudiate the parts of the Bible that condemn homosexuality.