What goes through your head when you tell a church
that you are gay? Lee Battle explains

What does it feel like to come out as gay to people in church? When the Church discusses human sexuality, we often miss this personal perspective. I am not writing to change your viewpoint, but to share my experience. All I ask is that you read this with respect and an open heart.

I am a third year ordinand in the United Reformed Church. I am someone who has heard and responded to the call of God in my life. I am a gay woman.

Last September, I started my major placement, which is when you spend the final two years of your training in the same place. I have been placed with three very different but equally wonderful churches.

I decided early on, with the support of my supervisor, to be open with the congregations about my sexuality – it would become apparent as soon as anyone saw my Facebook page. So a few weeks later, I stood at the front of the churches and told them that I was gay.

Before you tell someone – anyone – that you are gay, you take a deep breath and brace yourself. In a split second, a myriad of feelings race through you, and by the far the biggest is fear. Fear that by the time you exhale that you will have been rejected. That it was pointless to hope that you wouldn’t be. That you will be forever remembered for only three words: ‘I am gay.’…

Lee Battle is an MA student at Northern College, Manchester

___

This is an extract from an article that was published in the May 2019 edition of Reform

Subscribe to Reform