In 1968, the first Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) was founded in Los Angeles. It was the first LGBT-friendly church. It started a movement of gay-affirming Christians reaching out to the LGBT community to carry the Great Commission to our community. Since then, LGBT churches (whether MCC or unaffiliated) have grown to such a number. In recent years, they have been joined by predominantly straight churches in reaching out to and welcoming the LGBT community to Christianity. I attend a predominantly straight but LGBT-welcoming Episcopal church. My boyfriend attends a predominantly-LGBT but straight-welcoming Pentecostal church. We are on opposite ends of the spectrum of LGBT-welcoming Christianity, but our churches are on the same team. We both fight for inclusiveness in the church.
Most people still assume that Christianity is inherently ant-LGBT. When I was an atheist, I thought this, and used this supposed "fact" to decry Christianity as homophobic. Since coming back to Christianity, I have realized that it isn't Christianity itself that is anti-LGBT, its only the interpretation of certain Christian Scriptures that is.
The church has had many great revivals throughout her history. Each one has brought the church closer to where it needs to be in order for Christ to return and claim her as his bride. The next revival is coming, and will be focused on LGBT inclusiveness. It will start in the predominantly LGBT churches founded as part of the before mentioned movement, but will spill over into the predominantly straight but LGBT welcoming churches, and will even claim many of the previously homophobic churches as gay-friendly.
As the LGBT churches grow, both in size and in number, people will begin to see that Christianity welcomes people of all sexual orientations. People will flock to the LGBT churches to see this "miracle", and many will find a home in these churches. Those who don't find a home in these churches but feel drawn to Christianity will seek out other churches that are LGBT-friendly, finding the predominantly straight but LGBT-welcoming churches. These churches too will grow. Seeing the growth of LGBT-friendly churches, many previously homophobic churches will investigate this new phenomena and become LGBT-friendly churches themselves. The churches that hold onto their outdated homophobic churches will begin to be seen in the light of their bigotry, and these churches will begin to shrink.
It is my desire, and my sincere belief, that Christ will return to a predominantly LGBT-friendly church. I have no doubt in this.
I pray God will give me a part in the upcoming revival. Here I am Lord, use me.
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