How a Proper Exegesis of The "Clobber Passages" in Scripture Guided This Theology Student to an Affirming View of Her Sexuality and Her Work With The Reformation Project (with Katherine Johnson)
💡 Guest bio
Katherine Johnson earned her B.A. in Christian Ministries from Spring Arbor University and has over 20 years of ministry experience in a wide variety of fields, both in churches and parachurch organizations. She has also earned an M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies from Western Seminary and a Th.M. from Columbia Theological Seminary with a focus on Hebrew and Old Testament exegesis.
Katherine is passionate about helping people to encounter Scripture in ways that foster a life-giving relationship with God and personal growth in Christlike love. She is dedicated to The Reformation Project’s mission because she is convinced that the full inclusion of LGBTQ believers in the life of the church would lead to greater flourishing not only for LGBTQ Christians but also for the Kingdom of God “on earth as it is in heaven.”
ℹ️ Introduction
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Lesbi-Honest, the podcast where we delve into the stories and experiences of LGBTQ+ women in all their diverse and beautiful forms. I'm your host, Sarah St John, and today we have a truly powerful and inspiring tale to share with you.
In this episode, we'll be exploring the journey of Katherine, who has undergone a profound process of self-discovery and acceptance of her sexual orientation. What sets Katherine's story apart is the deep connection she has with her faith in Jesus, which has always been a guiding force in her life.
Growing up, Katherine felt different, struggling to fit in with either boys or girls. She wasn't interested in typical teenage pursuits like makeup, hair, and boys, which left her feeling alienated and weird. To cope with the pressure to conform, she pretended to have crushes on boys, all the while suppressing her true feelings.
But it wasn't until she experienced intense emotions for a woman that Katherine began to realize she wasn't straight. Yet, deeply ingrained beliefs associating homosexuality with sin made it difficult for her to reconcile her faith and her identity. Feeling like an outsider, Katherine yearned for belonging and authenticity.
Her journey took an unexpected turn when she met her partner, Erin. They both approached their beliefs and understanding of homosexuality from different angles – Katherine with deep study and intellectual analysis, and Erin with a more relational perspective. Their paths intertwined as they embarked on separate journeys of research and self-discovery, discovering new understandings and challenging their preconceptions.
Through their exploration, Katherine felt called to work with the Reformation Project, a mission dedicated to advancing LGBTQ inclusion in the church. Katherine's role in the organization involves overseeing programming and supporting ambassadors who promote LGBTQ inclusion in their respective contexts.
Amidst this incredible transformation, Katherine and Erin also navigated the delicate process of coming out to their loved ones. They carefully chose who to share their truth with, based on the expected difficulty of the conversation. And while they feared losing friendships, family, and their faith community, they found support and affirmation in unexpected places.
Join us as we unravel Katherine's remarkable journey of self-discovery, faith, and love. We'll explore the challenges she faced, the moments of triumph, and how she found strength and community along the way. It's a story that showcases the power of embracing one's true self, regardless of the expectations and barriers imposed by society and religion.
So grab your headphones, settle in, and get ready for an emotional and enlightening journey on this episode of Lesbi-Honest.
❇️ Key topics and bullets
- Discovering and accepting one's sexual orientation
- Feeling different and not fitting in with boys or girls while growing up
- Coping with pressure to conform by pretending to have crushes on boys
- The role of faith in the Katherine's journey
- Feeling a conflict between her faith in Jesus and her sexual orientation
- Believing she couldn't be both a follower of Jesus and gay
- Realizing that her faith and sexual orientation can coexist
- Partner's role in Katherine's journey
- Differing approaches to understanding homosexuality
- Both engaging in separate journeys of research and self-discovery
- Discussing and sharing what they learned
- Significance of the partner's sister's upcoming wedding
- Prompted questioning of views on homosexuality
- Reflecting on whether they could support their sister
- The intertwining of the Katherine and Erin's lives
- Feeling guided by God in their separate journeys
- Initial attraction and insecurity about initiating a friendship
- Katherine's role in the conference
- Overseeing planning and programming for the pre-conference ambassador retreat
- Responsibility for the parents and process program
- Expecting increased responsibilities as the conference approaches
- Erin's transition from previous job to working at a vet clinic
- Need for work-life balance and change from ministry work
- Enjoying working with animals at the vet clinic
- The Reformation Project and its programs
- Mission to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church
- Programs include support for parents, training for pastors, and leadership development
- Katherine's role in overseeing programming and the ambassador program
- Discovering affirming views through research
- Realizing the Bible doesn't condemn committed and loving same-sex relationships
- Writing a position paper expressing this belief
- Receiving an A on the paper
- Coming out to friends and family
- Gradually coming out to trusted, accepting individuals
- Choosing who to come out to based on anticipated difficulty of the conversation
- Later having a conversation with the speaker's mother in person
- Friendship and relationship with Erin
- Meeting in college and quickly becoming best friends and roommates
- Both studying ministry and doing ministry together
- Both initially believing homosexuality was off-limits
- Challenging conversations and shifting relationships
- Questioning beliefs during seminary and studying scripture more deeply
- Realizing that biblical scholars are on the affirming side
- Having difficult conversations when the speaker's relationship with Erin became known
- The struggle to find affirming ministry jobs
- Planning to move to an affirming seminary disrupted by the pandemic
- Finishing an online degree and searching for affirming ministry jobs
- Difficulty finding jobs grounded in scripture and hiring
🧞♂️ Discussion questions
1. How do you think Katherine's faith in Jesus shaped her understanding of herself and her sexual orientation?
2. Can you relate to Katherine's experience of feeling different and struggling to fit in while growing up? How did that impact her journey of self-discovery?
3. How do you think societal expectations and gender stereotypes influenced Katherine's coping mechanisms, like pretending to have crushes on boys?
4. Discuss the significance of Katherine's initial belief that she couldn't be both a follower of Jesus and gay. How did that change over time?
5. How did Katherine and her partner approach their understanding of homosexuality and their beliefs? How did their different approaches contribute to their journey of self-discovery?
6. How did the upcoming wedding of Katherine's partner's sister prompt them to question their views on homosexuality? What role did their separate research and shared discussions play in this process?
7. How do you interpret the idea of the speaker and their partner feeling guided by God and their lives being intertwined from the beginning? What role does faith play in their journey?
8. Discuss the insecurities and fears Katherine and her partner had when they initially felt an attraction to each other. How do you think those fears were influenced by societal expectations and their personal beliefs?
9. Explore the speaker's role in planning the pre-conference ambassador retreat and the parents and process program. How do you think these programs contribute to LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church?
10. Reflect on the speaker's decision to transition from a previous intense ministry job to working at a vet clinic. How do you think this change of environment and focus has impacted their well-being and work-life balance?
Relevant Links
The Late Life Lesbian program (affiliate link)
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