Untold Stories BIC

Coming out as gay threatened all that Ben (pronouns: they/them/theirs) knew and valued.  In fact, the stress and emotional turmoil of trying to keep a secret and live a lie was causing Ben to physically and mentally fall apart. Something had to give. So Ben faced their fears and came out as queer.  Despite facing pain, rejection, and exclusion, one thing that Ben never lost was their trust in God, and eventually learned how to breathe again. (Recorded Spring of '19)

Raised in a typical conservative Christian home, Amy believed what she was taught about LGTBQ people. They were choosing sin. But when she began to get to know more and more people who were gay and hear their stories, her black and white worldview began to shift. And over time, she began to realize that the crumbs the church was offering to LGBTQ people wasn't okay. She couldn't ignore how the Spirit was convicting her heart. (Recorded Spring of '19)

In her 50's, Wendy was a respected leader in her job and church. But she never could be fully herself, never be fully known. The risks of doing so were too high. Plus, deep inside she had harbored a belief that God didn't love the real her. But little by little things started to change. It was scary. It was painful. But as she came out into the light it was undeniably life-giving. And God has been with her the whole time. (Recorded Spring of '19)

A former BIC Pastor of CVC BIC of 17 years shares his journey with his growing understanding of the Bible in light of questions regarding sexuality and what love looks like. (Recorded Spring of '19)

For many people in the faith communities, the words trans and Christian are not ones they naturally combine.  But if you want to get an idea of what the journey looks like for someone discovering their sexuality and gender while trying to hold onto their faith then listen to Nick's story. It's honest.  It's down to earth.  It's challenging.  And it's beautiful. (Recorded Spring of '19)

Fueled by regrets of how her traditional theology hurt her own gay son and seeing how it continues to harm so many families, hear Dinah's passionate voice for the church to turn from it's past and learn to converse, grow and do better – people's lives are at stake. (Recorded Spring of '19)

As she journeyed into counseling and befriended many LGBTQ people, the beliefs Wendy was taught about homosexuality didn't fit her experience. At her core, she felt God was telling her to lead with love, not judgment. But when her niece came out as lesbian, her convictions would be tested beyond what she could imagine. How would she overcome being rejected by her extended family AND finding she had cancer? God's grace. (Recorded Spring of '19)

 Doug and Barb had their views on sexuality shaped profoundly by their different upbringings.  One thing they saw in the church communities they found themselves - same-sex relationships were a sin.  And they didn't question this dogma until they were faced with their own child's identity.  And once they did, they found out that there was so much they didn't know and so much about love that they had to learn. (Recorded Spring of '19)

This is a preview of the stories of Season 1 in the podcast series Untold Stories BIC.  

Life isn't easy when what you've been taught about faith is in conflict with the way you feel God created you.  (Recorded Spring of '19)