Mitch Randall
Let me begin this way: I am both welcoming and affirming of LGBTQ+ people. I have come to the conclusion that God created humanity with various sexual identities and orientations. Therefore, the church should not hinder LGBTQ+ Christians from full inclusion into the body as God made them. However, I must also admit, I have not always held this conviction.
As a young Christian growing up in eastern Oklahoma, I was raised a good Southern Baptist. With the rise of the Evangelical Right in the 1980s, I also was influenced by their restrictive theology and political ideology. I was taught that God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Furthermore, I was instructed that marriage was between a man and woman with assigned roles granted to each. The husband was to be the head of his wife, and she was to submit herself to his authority. In addition, marriage had two main purposes: (1) it was not good for man to be alone so God created a helper, and (2) marriage was meant for procreation.
As a young pastor after seminary, I began having LGBTQ+ Christians and their relatives visit me. Time and time again, I heard the same story. Individuals would say: “I did not choose this for myself. Believe me, if I could change, I would. I have known I am gay ever since I can remember.” From relatives: “I know my son or daughter. I love them. I believe them when they tell me about what they are experiencing. However, my understanding of the Bible and what they tell me are at conflict. Please, I need help.” For a time, I had no words that could help, except, “I promise to pray for your family.” Then, one day, after another conversation with an LGBTQ+ Christian, the question posed by Peter and Dr. Heflin hit me like a ton of bricks: “Who was I that I could hinder God?” If God was calling more and more LGBTQ+ disciples into the Church, who am I to prevent it? Did they have to convert to a certain interpretation like the Gentiles were forced to do? Was the church going to force yet another group of people to wear a “mark on the body” to enter into their community? Was not a “mark on the heart” enough? In the end, I decided I was going to stop fighting with God about God’s LGBTQ+ children.
Each time I have studied Scripture and opened my mind to God’s voice, I have always discovered that God wants more and more people to experience love. Whoever the person was that I tried to exclude from God’s love using my prescribed spiritual formula, God always told me to set that formula aside because it was wrong. God wanted to show me the formula God had been using since the beginning of time that goes something like this: God equals love, as love equals everyone. It’s been a long journey for me, so I’m sympathetic to those who are still where I was entering seminary and those who find themselves somewhere along the path I’ve journeyed down. This decision has hindered my career path at times, as doors were closed in my face. Even today, as some read this, they will cry “heretic” and argue that I have abandoned the faith and ignored the Bible. However, my belief in the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ Christians into the Church is because of the Bible, not in spite of it.
My conviction is rooted deeply in Scripture, as God is always expanding love even while some followers attempt to keep it for themselves. Therefore, if I am ever in error with my interpretation of Scripture, then I have made a conscious decision to err on the side of love. If I get to the pearly gates one day, I hope I get to hear God say, “Darn it, Mitch, you took my message about love way too seriously. When I said I loved everyone, I really did not mean everyone. I’m sorry, but you loved way too much!”