Gay, bisexual, and transgender people are in your congregation — or they were, before they left. The theological questions are real, the pastoral stakes are high, and the standard talking points aren't adequate to either. The Reformation Project offers a serious, Scripture-grounded place to do the work.
The Reformation Project is an affirming organization. We believe orthodox Christian faith and the full affirmation of monogamous, covenantal same-sex relationships are compatible.
But we also know that many pastors are somewhere in the middle of this question — working through the exegesis carefully, weighing the pastoral implications, trying to lead their congregations with both faithfulness and integrity. That is serious, legitimate work.
This page exists to support that work. You don't need to agree with us to be here, and we're not going to push you toward a conclusion that isn't yours.
Pastors of non-affirming churches — many of whom have gay or transgender congregants, are watching families fracture, or are working through the exegetical questions with fresh eyes and high pastoral stakes.
Only that you want to help your congregation become more inclusive of gay, bisexual, and transgender people. You don't need to be fully affirming — or even certain you'll get there.
Participants engage the theological material alongside other pastors in similar positions. Like any professional pastoral gathering, what's shared in the room stays there — a standard professional courtesy, not a secret.
Most pastors don't arrive at this question theoretically. Something specific brings them here. These are the most common starting points.
You love this person. You've watched them grow up in your church, or they've trusted you with something deeply personal. And now the theological stakes of what you teach feel different than they did before. You're trying to figure out whether what you've always said is actually what Scripture requires.
You've read something — a book, an article, a scholarly argument — that didn't land the way you expected. The dismissive response you've always had to affirming theology is starting to feel less satisfying. You want to engage the actual arguments, not the caricatures of them.
Some of your congregation is more conservative than you. Some are asking why you haven't said more. You're trying to shepherd people through a conversation that feels like it has no safe middle ground — and you need more than platitudes to do it well.
The Reformation Project's Biblical Case examines ten theological arguments. These two are the most relevant starting points for someone approaching this question with a pastor's frame of reference — a concern for congregants and a serious commitment to the text.
Jesus teaches in Matthew 7 that sound doctrine produces good fruit. Non-affirming theology has produced documented, serious harm in the lives of gay, bisexual, and transgender Christians — harm that falls within your pastoral care. The Reformation Project treats that fruit as theological evidence, not merely sociological data. This argument asks whether the outcomes you're watching in your congregation are consistent with a faithful reading of Matthew 7.
Read the argumentIn the ancient world, same-sex behavior was understood as a vice of excess that might tempt anyone — not as the permanent sexual orientation of a minority of people. That concept did not exist. The claim that affirming theology overturns centuries of Christian tradition assumes a tradition that wasn't there. This argument engages the historical and exegetical case directly — the kind of engagement that matters to a pastor working through the text.
Read the argumentThe full Biblical Case covers ten arguments. All of them are available now, written for readers who take Scripture seriously and want to engage the arguments rather than the talking points.
Explore all ten argumentsPastors in Process is an ongoing program from The Reformation Project — a structured gathering for pastors of non-affirming churches who want to move the conversation on inclusion forward in their congregations.
You'll hear from pastors who have led their churches through this process. You'll learn about the theological, relational, and institutional dynamics involved — the real complexity that makes this work genuinely demanding. And you'll connect with other pastors navigating similar terrain.
As with any professional pastoral gathering, participant information is held in confidence. Attendees from non-affirming churches participate without concern — this is a professional norm, not a workaround.
If you have a theological question, a pastoral situation you're navigating, or you just want to understand what The Reformation Project does and how it works — reach out. Someone will respond thoughtfully and without pressure.
You're welcome to use a personal email address if that's more convenient. This is not a recruitment form — it's just a conversation.
Your contact information is used only to reply to your message and is not shared or published.
This free seven-week email series — based on Matthew Vines' God and the Gay Christian — walks through the biblical case from the very beginning, written for people who take Scripture seriously.
Many pastors find it a useful way to engage the full argument carefully before deciding what to do next. It's available at no cost, delivered to your inbox on your own schedule.
We don't share your information. Unsubscribe at any time.