Gay Christian Employee Leaves Wheaton College

Julie Rodgers, a gay Christian celebrated by evangelicals for her commitment to celibacy, recently announced her affirmation of gay marriage on her blog. I was alerted to her change of stance through Eliel Cruz’s Religion News Service column. Rodgers made the announcement here, on her personal blog.

Here’s the paragraph from Rodgers’ blog that stood out to me:

While I struggle to understand how to apply Scripture to the marriage debate today (just like we all struggle to know how to interpret Scripture on countless controversial topics), I’ve become increasingly troubled by the unintended consequences of messages that insist all LGBT people commit to lifelong celibacy. No matter how graciously it’s framed, that message tends to contribute to feelings of shame and alienation for gay Christians. It leaves folks feeling like love and acceptance are contingent upon them not-gay-marrying and not-falling-in-gay-love. When that’s the case—when communion is contingent upon gays holding very narrow beliefs and making extraordinary sacrifices to live up to a standard that demands everything from an individual with little help from the community—it’s hard to believe our bodies might be an occasion for joy. It’s hard to believe we’re actually wanted in our churches. It’s hard to believe the God who loves us actually likes us.

For her own part, Rodgers’ remains personally committed to celibacy, but her change of heart with respect to the Christian legitimacy of gay marriage has apparently rendered her unemployable in the chaplain’s office at Wheaton College.

Following Rodger’s announcement, Wheaton has also announced that she is no longer their employee. According to Cruz’s article, many students have expressed their sadness over her departure, stating that she was a great source of support for them.

Just another day in the continued retrenchment of evangelical institutions. Sadly, these separations and departures equate to fewer voices on behalf of God’s inclusive grace and fewer advocates for  the full humanity of all persons.