Why I’m Interning at The Marin Foundation

The following post is by Ian Brown, student at Moody Bible Institute, and a summer intern with The Marin Foundation.   

After telling people I was interning with The Marin Foundation I got one of two responses:

1. “Oh wow, that’s so interesting and I think it’s great they do that!”

or

2. “Oh wow, but you don’t condone that sort of lifestyle, do you?”

The Marin Foundation, of course, seeks to build bridges between the LGBTQ community and faith groups, specifically the Christian Church. Some of my well-intentioned conservative friends became worried my theology had taken a wrong turn.

I eventually learned the best answer to the second question was “I guess I’m still learning.” This was my response because I believe while I may not have my theology set up and ready to go, I’m not disqualified to build bridges. In fact, my uncertainty is one of the reasons I wanted to help out at The Marin Foundation in the first place.

While preparing for this internship, I felt the need to know what to say when I was asked what I believe regarding my theology on same-sex relationships. I expected I would arrive at The Marin Foundation, sit down, learn all the answers, and then get started. But as soon as I got here, I lost interest in knowing the theological “answers”. Suddenly I was more focussed on going and doing. I felt a sense of relief when I learned the staff I would be working with didn’t necessarily agree on every issue.

One of the beautiful things about The Marin Foundation is they don’t pick sides. Because by connecting with a community, learning and growing can take place. I’m in a place where I don’t want to impose my beliefs on anyone, I want to learn how to accept, live with and learn from a group of people whom The Church has harmed.

So moving forward, I may not learn all the theology I’ll ever need in life from this internship. I actually may come out more confused about what I believe than when I began. But I think I’ll also look back on this time and confidently say that, while I didn’t know my theology backwards and forwards, I stood in solidarity with people and acted in love to bring two groups of people together in the name of Christ.