Three Gay People Seeking God

Renee is a well-educated physician who had everything she wanted in life. She had a long-term monogamous relationship with her lesbian partner, a son, a house, an accepting family and a great church. But, something was missing. Despite having all these things she had no peace. And, she didn’t know why. She found herself sitting in “a puddle of tears” crying out to God for the answer. What God revealed scared her. He asked her to put her sexuality under his guidance. Two years ago, she took that risk and is no longer in a same-sex relationship. She reports, “It was the scariest thing I have ever done in my life.” It challenged her entire sense of identity.  But the results were exactly what she hoped for. She finally had peace. And more than peace, she experienced a joy that made her want to “shout from the rooftops.”

Renee is one of three people who shared her story as part of a panel at Gateway Church in Austin, Texas in August 2009. All three panelists are members of Gateway. Two of them began attending the church with their lesbian partners. In fact, one of them admits she started coming just to test how Christians would react to her same-sex relationship. The third panelist began attending eight years ago after a member of Gateway stood up for him at the gym when he was being harassed by a couple Bible thumpers.

What intrigued me about these testimonies is that they all ultimately decided that homosexuality was not what God intended, even though no one badgered them about it. Renee points out that she did not arrive at her decision because someone nagged her or fed her Scripture verses on homosexuality (verses she was already well aware of). Rather, it simply came from the Spirit. She asked God why she was feeling a lack of peace, and he gave her an answer.

These are not testimonies of coming out of wild, drug abusing, promiscuous “lifestyles.” These are just three people pursuing God as they felt led. They also have no problem admitting they still have same-sex attraction. Change in orientation is not even discussed. The focus is on hearing from God and walking toward Him. Watch it for yourself here (Pastor Ted Beasley speaks for about 15 minutes and the panel discussion is about 35 minutes):

Click here: Gateway Video