What Does It Take?
By Charlotte Strayhorne
The Cost of Spiritual Freedom: The Turmoil Within
Incident in Washington, D.C., illustrates the abuse of a black church
Spiritual abuse is killing this LGBT generation. I believe it is more prevalent in the African American community than in any other. Each day provides a revelation of LGBT families, couples and singles who have been attending Afro-centric churches on the Down Low.
In January, Jon Mack and his partner, Michael Garrett, walked out of a Sunday morning worship service in at Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church in Washington, D.C., according to news reports. They’d had enough of the spiritual strong-armed tactics of Bishop Alfred Owens as he used his pulpit to bully the LGBT nation.
As Owens proclaimed that the marriage bed was for a man and a woman, the congregation, already whipped into a holy-ghost frenzy, shouted “amen” and clapped their hands. Mack and Garrett left, vowing to never return. They promised to tell about the abuse they had been sitting under for almost a year.
In reviewing the history of Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, two things are clear: According to documented accusations, the church choir is replete with gay men. And the church has a mission to heal the homosexual of their sin of homosexuality. These two points represent a dichotomy that should tear this mega-church apart.
However, as long as LGBT folks sit passively in churches like Greater Mount Calvary, ministers like Owens will beat down the gates of hell with their lies and hate filled rhetoric. It’s amazing, yet not mystifying, why so many African-American LGBT folks continue to sit in these churches and pretend that these steaming words of hate do not hurt or offend them.
The Afro-centric church experience is like none other. The music, the preaching, the raw emotion, the charismatic outreach all add to the appeal of why people faithfully attend such churches. A fierce loyalty to God and the church drives most members to continue to attend a church no matter how misdirected the dogma from the pulpit may be.
It’s time to change the hunker-down mentality of LGBT folks who find themselves stuck in churches filled with haters. The Word must be spread that there is strength in unity. I would like to believe that as Mack and Garrett left that church dozens of others followed their example and left to seek a true safe harbor for worship and praise.
I believe that Afro-centric churches are the most abusive as they pound out messages of hate, fully knowing that they are holding hostages from the LGBT nation. It’s time to liberate those hostages and give them the powerful voice they have had all along.
Web sites like Operation: Rebirth offer access to alternatives that more than match the exhilaration of the Afro-centric church experience.
Operation: Rebirth is the first Web site dedicated to ending the religious and spiritual abuse inflicted by black churches against black gays and lesbians. The Web site provides resources that assist black gays and lesbians on reclaiming their religion and spirituality.
It’s time for my African-American LGBT brothers and sisters to rise up and make spiritual change occur in this decade. It’s time for us to find our voices and say to our oppressors “no more.” It’s time to be the strong men and women we have been destined to be.
We are articulate, we are bold and we have more power than can ever be imagined. We no longer need to be subjected to bad religion for the sake of our faith. It’s time to make a change.
If we stand united in this cause people will take notice. The churches of our past will begin to seek a way to reach us without seeking a way to break us.
After recently attending the annual Soul Purpose Unity event, I am convinced that the strength and support of friends and family can guide anyone through the toughest times.
The move toward spiritual freedom may have started with two unknown men in Washington D.C. The move continues across the country as more members of the African American LGBT nation rise up and claim our freedom from spiritual abuse.
What does it take? To no longer silently offer our consent to spiritual abuse.
Rev. Elder Charlotte Strayhorne is a Co-Pastor with Casa de Cristo Church.To reach her, write her at RevCharlotte@Casadecristo.org or Cstrayhorne@hotmail.com.
Top
