We believe that God designed the family, that marriage and the family are therefore good, and that caring for and stewarding these relationships in obedience to Christ is a vital way in which the Kingdom of God expands. We also believe that every Christian has been adopted into the family of God and that the bonds of spiritual kinship between brothers and sisters of faith are deeper and more essential to the Christian life than natural family relationships. We believe that God designs local faith communities to be a place where all believers, whether married or unmarried, can experience belonging and deep intimacy. We see both married and unmarried believers as an essential part of the body of Christ, each having unique perspectives and opportunities to extend hospitality and grace so that all may experience the joys, benefits, and responsibilities of being a disciple of Christ. (Prov. 22:6; Eph. 1:5; Gal. 4:4–5; Eph. 2:19; 3:15; Rom 12:5; Matt. 12:50; 19:29; Col. 1:1–14; 1 Cor. 12)

Christian Sexual Stewardship 

We believe that sin permeated the world as a result of humanity's rebellion and now affects every aspect of creation, including human sexuality. Along with every form of sexual desire apart from the one-flesh bond between husband and wife, we believe that same-sex sexual desire experienced by gay, lesbian, bisexual, and other same-sex-attracted people is a product of the Fall; that same-sex sexual desire was not a pre-Fall reality; and that same-sex sexual desire will not exist in the new creation, after the return of Christ. Scripture teaches that any cultivation of lust in our hearts, or objectification of image bearers is equivalent to adultery. Though we believe this to be the case, we do not believe that desires connotate sin. People are a mixed bag of desires, some good and some bad. We believe we are held accountable for cultivating both inward stewardship and outward expression of our desires in accordance with the will of God, ensuring we dignify each person as made in the image of God and as brothers and sisters in Christ. (Gen. 3; Gen. 6:5; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:10–19; 1 Cor. 6:9–10; Matt. 22:30)

We recognize and are grieved that not every Christian has modeled the life of love that Christ calls us to. While some believers have done well, the Church has sadly earned a reputation of its mistreatment and abuse of the LGBTQ+ community. While we affirm a historical Christian sexual ethic, we acknowledge the difficulties and trials experienced by the LGBTQ+ community / those who experience same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria. We also recognize that many speaking for the Churchhave often failed to acknowledge the experiences of people who are intersex, often even ignoring their existence altogether. We believe that actively seeking forgiveness and reconciliation is a mark of a faithful Christian.

We believe if we are to call those who experience exclusively same-sex attraction to a high standard of celibacy, we must also hold ourselves accountable and rise to a higher standard of inclusion, as a family, so as become a true community of Christ. (Heb. 12:14, Matt 5:23-24.)

Resources

We understand that as with many issues of faith, discerning and navigating sexual stewardship can be complex and requires careful nuance and discussion. Our goal is to foster a community that values vulnerability, conversation, and compassion while staying faithful to the truth revealed in scripture and throughout Church history. As a start to the ongoing conversation, we have listed some resources below that people in our ministry have found helpful.

*The views in the resources below are those of their individual authors alone and we can not wholesale approval of every minutia expressed. They are recommended within the context of an ongoing conversation to spurn on a thoughtful response and assist in steering our thoughts in a helpful direction.