My Interview with Terri Gross for NPR

“Lutheran Minister Preaches a Gospel of Love to Junkies, Drag Queens, and Outsiders” — Check out my NPR interview with Terry Gross for Fresh Air.

Interview Highlights

On why people are surprised she’s a pastor 

NBW: Other than the fact that I tend to swear like a truck driver? … I don’t look like a pastor, I’m very heavily tattooed, I have sleeve tattoos, basically, and very short hair, and I’m, like, 6-feet-1-inch [tall]. I don’t actually act like a pastor either. I don’t have that sweet, nurturing, “come to me; I’ll co-sign on all of your BS problems,” like, I just don’t have that warm, cozy personality, and I’m kind of cranky and a little bit sarcastic, I guess.

Nobody ever meets me and guesses. The best thing is on airplanes. … Eventually if you talk to [people], which I try not to do, but if it has to happen, then they’ll say, “What do you do?” and I’ll invite them to guess, and never once have they guessed. I did get “burlesque dancer” once, which pleased me to no end. If you’re a middle-aged Lutheran pastor and someone guesses you’re a burlesque dancer, that feels like a win for the day.

On starting her own church, The House for All Sinners and Saints

NBW: I had to start a church I’d want to show up to, basically. I really love Lutheran theology and I love the ancient liturgy, but I’d look around Lutheran churches, and no one looked like me. … I would have to culturally commute to show up to those churches, and I wasn’t really eager to do that, so I basically became a pastor to my people. My call to ministry was very particular: It was to do this thing, to start a congregation, because I went to my bishop at the time and I was like, “Man, you could, like, put me in some church in the suburbs or in the country, but you and I both know that would be ugly for everyone involved, so let’s just say I start one.” He goes, “Yeah, that sounds better.”

Listen to the full interview here!