Dear Wake Forest Christian Church!
I greet you with the love and blessings of God’s Divine presence on earth. I recently learned that you went through the process of becoming an open and affirming church for the LGBTQ community. This makes my heart rejoice and extremely proud of my home congregation.
Since November of 2006, I have been a member of Wake Forest Christian Church when my family and I moved to North Carolina. Before that time, I was not a part of any church community nor grew up learning anything about God, the Church, or Jesus. Despite that fact, Wake Forest loved me and accepted me for who I am and has supported me through high school, college, seminary, and my first few years of ordained ministry. When I came out as a gay cisgender man about a decade ago, I was blessed by the fact that my church community at Wake Forest did not disown me or reject me but continued to love me. I have spoken with many of my fellow LGBTQ community members around the country and too many times I have heard horror stories of church communities banishing and harming them when they proclaimed the gospel of love of God. I am thankful my experience while growing up at Wake Forest was not this way and that you all have continued to journey through the process of what it means to be truly open and affirming to those who have been harmed by other church communities.
I am proud to be a long-time member of Wake Forest Christian Church. I am proud to be you all’s first Timothy through ordination. I am proud of all the ways you continue to serve the community and open your doors for love and justice and peace to be victors in the world.
May you all continue to serve the gospel through your compassionate works in the world and thank you for not only supporting me and supporting the LGBRQ community.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Peace and Blessings,
Rev. Kevin Toth
Associate Minister
First Christian Church, Crawfordsville-Indiana
