#13 - Ordained, Gay, and Seeking Liberation: A Chat with Rev. Tyler Sit

David and TJ sit down with Rev. Tyler Sit of New City Church in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA. Tyler represents a “Side A” pastoral perspective as an ordained minister for the United Methodist Church in the US. In this wide-ranging conversation, David and TJ to seek to understand Tyler's perspective, his understanding of Side B, and his take on Side A hermeneutics, particularly those centered in liberation theologies. Tyler was an excellent conversation partner in this. We encourage our listeners to listen closely to understand one Side A perspective more carefully, and consider how a Side B perspective might engage similar folks.

(Note: We often use the terms “Side A” and “Side B” as shorthand. "Side A" generally affirms God can bless same-sex marriage and sexual relationships. “Side B” recognizes people experience same-sex sexual attraction while upholding the historic Christian sexual ethic of marriage between a man and a woman, and sex within marriage.)

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Timestamps

02:19 - Tyler’s story: “I want to see God”
07:18 - Tyler’s story: Coming out, pursuing ministry
11:18 - The United Methodist Church’s approach to homosexuality
13:45 - Tyler’s story: Pursuing ordination, LGBT campus ministry
19:42 - Tyler’s story: Encountering other Christian perspectives in seminary
21:50 - Tyler on constructs for sexuality
25:51 - Methodist positions and tensions over the last (many) years
33:15 - A hermeneutic of loving God, neighbor, self
36:00 - Q: Why is the traditional/non-affirming perspective not persuasive to you? (Liberation theology, purity culture)
45:27 - Q: Why does the church need queer voices?
50:24 - Liberation theology: How does “the coming age” relate to sexuality right now?
52:39 - Suffering in the Christian life

1:03:30 - Early Christianity persecution and family models
1:07:34 - Where we diverge on humans’ design, power, and authority
1:22:26 - David’s experience with Tyler’s church, plus our initial experiences with community, coming out
1:30:35 - The use of tradition, authority, and “orthophilia”
1:34:45 - Differing ideological frameworks: “Empire” vs. “the world”
1:39:23 - Christendom, justice movements, and our relationship to the state
1:42:58 - Freedom and oppression, God as a parent, and centers of identity
1:48:46 - Benediction

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Links and References

Tyler Sit’s website: www.tylersit.com/about-tyler

An article on the United Methodist’s “Traditional Plan”.

The Romans passage mentioned in our conversation is Romans 1:16-32.

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Below are some links that may help make this conversation accessible to global listeners (inclusion does not imply endorsement, of course): The Boy Scouts of America (Wikipedia), Westboro Baptist Church (Wikipedia), ROTC program (Wikipedia), Hillel House (Wikipedia), Candler School of Theology, About Taizé prayer.

Share feedback or questions by sending us a voice message at https://anchor.fm/communion-shalom or emailing us at davidfrank.mn@gmail.com