How To Respond To Gay And Lesbian Volunteers

You are the pastor (or senior staff member) of a fairly large church located in a

community struggling with high unemployment. In the last five years, three of the

main employers in town have closed their local operations and moved away,

laying off hundreds of people. This has had a significant impact on your

congregation as well as on the larger community.

A year ago, several pastors in your community joined together to support an

innovative and very promising job development project; they established a board

to oversee the effort, and chose you as chair of the board. TJ, the person chosen

to direct the project, is part of your congregation and grew up in the church’s

youth program. His parents have been leading members of your church for forty

years. After being away at college and then working in business for ten years, he

has returned to his home community with his wife and young children to help care

for his aging parents.

TJ is committed, connected, creative, warm, dynamic, and sensitive to criticism.

He has been remarkably effective in developing employment opportunities for

scores of people in the one year he has been working with the project. The

community is deeply appreciative of his work.

Much to your surprise, a number of the volunteers who have been helping with

the project are gay and lesbian individuals. Several of them are in committed

relationships. A number of congregation members from your church have come

to you because they are concerned about the possible message this is sending

about the church’s understanding of sexuality and marriage. They have urged

you to give clear moral guidance to the congregation on this matter.

In a separate development last week, two of the female volunteers in the project

have come to you to report serious incidents of sexual harassment toward them by

TJ. They explain that despite their direct comments to him about his behavior, he

seems clueless about the harm he is doing. The young women are hesitant about

“making a fuss” because they know how important the job development project

is. They are not sure how to proceed but their report makes it clear that the

situation is serious.

In your paper, briefly (one page) map out your vision of a congregation as a moral

community, or a community of moral formation.

Then, in 2 pages, respond to the congregation’s request for guidance on the first

concern, how to respond to gay and lesbian volunteers, and to parishioners’

concerns about Christian marriage and views of sexuality.

Then in the final two pages, map out a way in which you would address the

sexual harassment concern that has been brought to you.