Ministering to Gender & Sexual Minorities (Resource List)

Ministering to Gender & Sexual Minorities (Resource List)

Foundational Resources

Alberry, Sam. Is God Antigay? The Good Book Company, 2013. Concise primer by a British pastor who experiences same-sex attraction but maintains a neo-orthodox position about homosexuality.

CBMW.org [Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood]

Gagnon, Robert A. The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics. Abingdon Press, 2001. A highly regarded comprehensive and technical work of Scriptural exegesis of passages related to homosexuality. See also the brief YouTube video by the author, and his personal website

Harvey, John F. Truth about Homosexuality: The Cry of the Faithful. Ignatius Press, 1996.
Fr. Harvey was a pioneer in the pastoral care of men and women with same-sex attraction, and founder of the Courage apostolate. For a summary of Fr. Harvey’s main books on homosexuality, see the Fall 2012 issue of Humanum.

Hill, Wesley. Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian. Brazos Press, 2015.

Hirsch, Debra. Redeeming Sex: Naked Conversations about Sexuality and Spirituality. IVP, 2015

Marin, Andrew. Love is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community. IVP, 2009.

Mirus, Jeffrey. Homosexuality: A Special Call to the Love of God and Man. A brief but essential pastoral article that is helpful for better understanding the experience of the person with same-sex attraction.

Stanton, Glenn T. Loving My (LGBT) Neighbor: Being Friends in Grace & Truth. Moody, 2014. An honest appeal for a sincere and respectful befriending of persons facing same-sex attraction in our church communities. Stanton combines this with a solid presentation of biblical sexuality (and the common critiques leveled at it) - and a very practical look at friendship.

Strachan, Owen and Jonathan Parnell. Designed for Joy: How the Gospel Impacts Men and Women, Identity and Practice. Crossway, 2015.

Yarhouse, Mark A., Homosexuality and the Christian: A Guide for Parents, Pastors, and Friends. Bethany House Press, 2010. Mark is an Christian psychologist who provides helpful distinctions between orientation, behavior and identity.

Testimonials

Butterfield, Rosaria. The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert. Moody, 2014. Butterfield lived for years in a lesbian relationship before she came to Christ. Her website includes a number of resources including her own testimony and many other videos and articles.

Hill, Wesley. Washed & Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality. Zondervan, 2010.Wesley experiences same-sex attraction but is committed to celibacy.

Kaltenbach, Caleb. Messy Grace. Waterbrook Press, 2015. How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction

Lloyd, Jean. “Seven Things I Wish My Pastor Knew About My Homosexuality.” Public Discourse, December 10, 2014. A good and concise article from a Catholic woman who faces same-sex attraction. See also An Astonishing Message from a Gay Sister in Christ

Tushnet, Eve article: I'm Gay, but I'm Not Switching to a Church That Supports Gay Marriage.

Yuan, Christopher. Out of a Far County: A Gay Son's Journey to God. A broken Mother's Search for Hope. Waterbook Press, 2011. Christopher also does excellent seminars.

Youth & Family Resources

Comiskey, Andrew. What To Do When Your Child Discloses His or Her Homosexuality. See also this more extended version of the same topic. Comiskey’s Desert Stream - Living Waters Ministries features a number of resources related to same-sex attraction on their website.

Faust, Katy. “Dear Justice Kennedy: An Open Letter from the Child of a Loving Gay Parent.” Public Discourse (February 2, 2015) Offers a more personal, testimonial approach to the question. See also her follow up piece: PS, Justice Kennedy: Same-Sex Marriage Isn’t Good for Kids. For the perspective of a man with same-sex attraction expressing gratitude for being raised by a Christian father and mother, see Father’s Final Gift to His Same-Sex Attracted Son.

Hallman, Janelle. “Do No Harm: Considerations in Supporting Youth with Same-Sex Attraction.” In Living the Truth in Love: Pastoral Approaches to Same-Sex Attraction. Ignatius Press, 2015. A good pastoral primer. Part I focuses on the potential vulnerability of a young person who discloses to you a same-sex attraction. Part II offers Hallman’s practical tips in counseling.

Johnston, Jeff. How to Talk to Your Children about Homosexuality. Focus on the Family, 2014.

Regnerus, Mark. “How Different Are the Adult Children of Parents Who Have Same-Sex Relationships? Findings from the New Family Structures Study.” Social Science Research 41, no. 4 (2012): 752-70. Mark Regnerus is an sociologist and researcher. For more on his research, see: The Data on Children in Same-Sex Households Get More Depressing, June 2016. New Research on Same-Sex Households Reveals Kids Do Best With Mom and Dad, February 2015. Making Differences Disappear: The Evolution of Science on Same-Sex Households, May 2015.

Samuel, Ana, ed. No Differences? How Children in Same-Sex Households Fare: Studies from Social Science. Witherspoon Institute, 2014. For commentary on this work, see Same-Sex Parenting: Unpacking the Social Science.

Yarhouse, Mark and Wesley Hill. Understanding Sexual Identity: A Resource for Youth Ministry. Zondervan, 2010.

Counseling Resources

Hallman, Janelle M. The Heart of Female Same-Sex Attraction: A Comprehensive Counseling Resource. IVP Books, 2008. See also her short article Helping Women With Same-Sex Attraction.

Jones, Stanton L. “Same-Sex Science: The Social Sciences Cannot Settle the Moral Status of Homosexuality.” First Things (February 2012). An excellent concise overview and critical assessment of the various social science (i.e. psychology, sociology, etc) studies related to same sex attraction. See also this review of research by Stanton and Yarhouse in the Fall 2012 edition of the Humanum review.

Keefe, Jeffrey. Outreach to Homosexual Persons: The Understanding Heart. A good overview article on the prevalence of same-sex attraction, as well as the factors involved in its origins and development.

Medinger, Alan P. Growth into Manhood: Resuming the Journey. Waterbrook Press, 2000. Good resource to give to a man experiencing same-sex attraction.

Yarhouse, Mark. Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture. InterVarsity Press, 2015. An excerpt and overview of the book is available here. See a talk he gave at Calvin College in Michigan and his Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity website.