Ministering To LGBTs - And Those Who Love Them

LEE ANN B. MARINO was not expecting anything extraordinary about her ministry call. Already having a bit of a reputation as a radical due to her vehemently unpopular views about women, working with the lesbian-gay-bisexual-and transgender community and their families was simply not in her plan. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, this was easy to do, because it was still not an issue that many people discussed in church. This was right up until, coinciding around the time that LGBT issues became front and center in society, Dr. Marino confronted the issue of caring about someone who was gay head on - and how that relationship changed her entire life. Transcending many years and many different experiences with the LGBT community, including HIV ministry, ministering to LGBT youth and college students, working with the families of LGBT individuals, and offering counseling, emotional support, and self-acceptance to LGBT individuals as a minister, Dr. Marino offers her perspectives on ministering to LGBT individuals and their families, friends, and support systems. With a heart of understanding, Dr. Marino removes the politics from the issue, calls the church to look at just how we are handling the issue - and how we need to change, and addresses issues that specifically affect the LGBT community and their loved ones. A powerful read of which there is nothing else quite like it in print, this book helps to ground ministry - ground leadership - and inspire love for a community that is all-too-often ignored and marginalized by church communities today.