If Jesus showed up at church next Sabbath, a few well-meaning Adventists would probably rush over with a clipboard, whispering, “Um… Jesus… some of the people you brought are going to upset the Church Manual.”
And Jesus—without missing a beat—would likely grab a potluck plate and make sure everyone had a seat.
Why? Because His ministry was built on radical, disarming welcome. Not selective welcome. Not “welcome… but with conditions.” Actual, humanizing, table-flipping welcome.
When we talk about LGBTQ people, Adventists often jump straight to theological footnotes. But Jesus didn’t begin with footnotes. He began with faces. Names. Stories. The kind of connection that made religious leaders uncomfortable—and made marginalized people feel seen for the first time.
So if Adventists genuinely want to look like Jesus, here are some places to start:
- Lead with Presence, Not Positions. Jesus didn’t hand out doctrinal surveys before sharing a meal. He showed up, listened, and treated people like they mattered—because they did.
- Make Church the Safest Place, Not the Scariest. If someone walks through our doors wondering whether they’ll be judged, whispered about, or “managed,” we’ve already missed the point of the gospel we claim to preach.
- Replace Fear With Curiosity. You can’t love someone you refuse to learn about. Jesus leaned in. We tend to lean away.
- Prioritize Love That Actually Costs Something. If our “love” never risks criticism from church folks, it’s probably not Jesus-shaped yet.
At the end of the day, the real question isn’t:
“What do Adventists do with LGBTQ people?”
It’s:
“When LGBTQ people meet us… do they meet Jesus?”
— Share this if you think church should look more like a table than a tribunal.
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