Bishop Karen P. Oliveto has published a resource as an openly Lesbian bishop to give voice to a usually-ignored or denigrated point of view: that of GLBTQI persons who affirm their identity, their history, and their faith journey. Our Strangely Warmed Hearts: Coming Out Into God's Call is one of a series of books published for use in discussions about the future of The United Methodist Church. It is published by Abingdon and is available from Amazon and from Cokesbury as well as your local bookstore. More resources for sexuality study.
From the back cover:
"As John Wesley discovered his true spiritual identity, he experienced a strangely warmed heart. Through poignant stories and well-reasoned principles, Karen Oliveto discloses how spiritual renewal and a personal call to ministry now emerge in the strangely warmed hearts of gay and lesbian Christians.
"In The United Methodist Church and other Christian denominations, it is difficult or impossible for lesbian, gay, transgender, or bisexual clergy or laity to become visible, outward channels of God's saving grace. Karen Oliveto traces the church's history with this struggle with homosexuality. The controversy is deeply rooted in how God's people are searching the scriptures, which are interpreted as a means of grace for some and as a rulebook for others.
"This book includes first-person narratives from LGBTQ persons faithfully serving in a denomination tht denies their calls and--in some cases--their presence. These stories show how the coming-out process is deeply spiritual as they sdpeak calmly from the heart, through pain, and sometimes with a disquieting understanding of our shared Christian faith together."
About Bishop Karen (also from the back cover):
"Karen P. Oliveto is bishop of the Mountain Sky Episcopal Area (Colordo, Wyoming, Montana, Uth and a small portion of Idaho) for The United Methodist Church. Previously, for eight years, she served as senior pastor of twelve-thousand-member Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco. Karen is the first woman to serve as senior pastor at Glide, the fifth-largest United Methodist congregation in the US; she is the first woman to serve as senior pastor in one of the denomination's one hundred largest US congregations; and she is the first openly lesbian bishop in The United Methodist Church. Her wife, Robin, is a nurse anaesthetist, is a deacon in The United Methodist Church."
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