Rites of Passage

by Joel

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One of the exciting things about belonging to YLGC is that we can share our experiences of various rites of passage. Such rites exist both in the gay community and in the Church, and are often associated with people in their adolescence or as they come to maturity in their teens and twenties.

We regularly have the privilege of hearing 'coming out' stories from our members. Coming out is a defining rite of passage for many lesbian, bisexual, gay and ts people, and, as we know, it can have positive and negative outcomes, as well as surprising ones. As a group, we have had our share of all of these. Our members regularly ask for prayer when they are considering telling their parents or friends about their sexuality, and they then share their stories after the event. We encourage each other through prayer and shared experiences, and we have the opportunity to help each other when our experiences of coming out leave us feeling hurt or confused. This has been my own experience of the Church in the past, but it is not what I want to dwell on now, as rites of passage can also be times of celebration.

There are celebrations in the Church to mark important moments in the life of the individual and the community, and we have recently had the privilege of joining several of our members in these celebrations. This Easter has seen the baptism of one of our number and the confirmation of two members in a service which was attended by straight and gay friends, some Christian and some not.

One member of our group recently combined his baptism with a brave address to his whole church, telling them about his sexuality. I have asked him to describe his experience in full. I will conclude by quoting his story:

'Just thought I'd let you all know that my baptism was amazing. The church was more full than I have ever seen it - they had to put extra seats inside the church and outside in the reception area! I was absolutely petrified beforehand about giving my testimony, but as soon as I started, my nerves just went. The actual baptism itself was an exceptional experience - something that I've wanted to do for years, but have never felt it was the right time. That Sunday was definitely the right time!

The responses were wonderful. I've heard about several people who gave their lives to God during the service, and one guy in particular, who has struggled with his sexuality. I met up with him for a chat the other day and he's really on fire! I've had people in the church that I've never spoken to before come up to me and say how proud they were of me being so honest.

I just wanted to say to anyone who is really struggling at the moment, that it does get better. Although there are people out there that will make things harder, there are also those who are truly welcoming and accepting.

It was not only just a big step for me to talk about my sexuality to a whole congregation, but it was a big step for my church, and I know there were quite a few people there who were really challenged by what I said.'