How we serve the lgbt communities
Sous-titres
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LGBTQA+ community has been
a target of numerous attacks
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and abuse.
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And therefore we as a church
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could not possibly turn our
blind eye to their suffering.
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Because we as Christians are called
to be resource people who suffer
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because it is there
where we meet our Lord.
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Therefore, when there was
a first very dramatic
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outburst of hatred towards
them, on May 17, 2013
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we realized that we had to
raise our voice in defense
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of those the representatives
of the LGBTQ community.
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We made first statement
immediately and then produced
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rather lengthy
theological explanation
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as to why should we embrace
sexual diversity among us
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which caused enormous
turmoil within my church
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and outside my church.
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Some churches have setup
an alliance against our church
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in order to fight what
we stand for.
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And what we stand for is about
loving acceptance of everybody
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be it heterosexual, homosexual,
whomever they are.
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They are human beings
and therefore they deserve
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to be treated with dignity,
with love and respect.
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And I think this was yet
another step for our church
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to go beyond the comfort
zone and embrace diversity.
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And I should say that
I'm very proud of our people.
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But even elderly people would
say that we don't know this.
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We don't know how it works.
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We did know the theme at all
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but we trust that God has called
you to serve everybody.
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And this is what we are doing.
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In the aftermath
of the May 17th event,
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on the seventeenth
of every month,
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we we celebrate Eucharist
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have been celebrating Eucharist
in support of the LGBTQ community
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and all those
who have been humiliated.
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And when very often when members
of this community are abused
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and sometimes there are very
sad cases where they are killed,
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we observe their memorial
services in the church
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when even family members
do not want to accept them
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even being dead.
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So this is yet another
sidelined community in Georgia
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that we intend to serve along
with many other communities.
content.front.transcript_toggle
LGBTQA+ community has been a target of numerous attacks and abuse. And therefore we as a church could not possibly turn our blind eye to their suffering. Because we as Christians are called to be resource people who suffer because it is there where we meet our Lord. Therefore, when there was a first very dramatic outburst of hatred towards them, on May 17, 2013 we realized that we had to raise our voice in defense of those the representatives of the LGBTQ community. We made first statement immediately and then produced rather lengthy theological explanation as to why should we embrace sexual diversity among us which caused enormous turmoil within my church and outside my church. Some churches have setup an alliance against our church in order to fight what we stand for. And what we stand for is about loving acceptance of everybody be it heterosexual, homosexual, whomever they are. They are human beings and therefore they deserve to be treated with dignity, with love and respect. And I think this was yet another step for our church to go beyond the comfort zone and embrace diversity. And I should say that I'm very proud of our people. But even elderly people would say that we don't know this. We don't know how it works. We did know the theme at all but we trust that God has called you to serve everybody. And this is what we are doing. In the aftermath of the May 17th event, on the seventeenth of every month, we we celebrate Eucharist have been celebrating Eucharist in support of the LGBTQ community and all those who have been humiliated. And when very often when members of this community are abused and sometimes there are very sad cases where they are killed, we observe their memorial services in the church when even family members do not want to accept them even being dead. So this is yet another sidelined community in Georgia that we intend to serve along with many other communities.