Why the Church Needs to Focus on Inclusion

 

Photo by Alex Jackman on Unsplash

Why does the church need to focus on inclusion?

This is a question that I have struggled to answer well. Today it seems more clear to me.

Aren’t we supposed to focus on Jesus?  Well, sort of.  I think it’s more accurate to say that we’re supposed to focus on following Jesus.  That’s the invitation Jesus makes to the disciples.  “Come follow me.”  

In the gospel of John, the direction Jesus gives in the upper room on his last meal with the disciples is to “go and do likewise.”  Not to focus on him but on doing like he has done.  If we interpret that too narrowly, we’d have to be setting up foot-washing stations all over town.

It is often hard to know what to focus on because there’s so much to be done.  People are hungry.  Injustice is easy to find.  Hopelessness and despair are always hanging around somewhere.

Jesus gives us marching orders at the end of Matthew’s gospel.  “Go and make disciples, baptizing them…teaching them…”  Some churches have made this into a mission/vision statement: Reach the lost, make disciples, send them out.  To fully live that out, we have to be inclusive. 

We often pray for God to give us a vision for being the church in this time and place.  Why are we here in Sterling, Kansas (or wherever you are) in 2025 (or whatever year it is when you read this).  I wonder if we truly expect a clear answer?

To me it’s clear that the most excluded demographic is the one that needs to know the most clearly that we want them to be included.  Churches have been telling LGBTQ that they’re welcome, but only if they’re willing to change. Studies show that one in three people has experienced religious trauma, and the incidence is dramatically higher for people who are LGBTQ. They also have higher rates of suicide.  (Read more here.) These much higher rates shouldn’t be surprising considering how many churches are still telling them that they’re going to hell for being who they are. If we aren’t being explicit about inclusion, people will expect to be excluded because of the church’s history.  

In a more populated area, it’s not too hard to find truly LGBTQ-inclusive churches now, thankfully.  But in rural central Kansas where I live, there are none.  It’s a ministry gap that exists because people in rural areas tend to assume that there aren’t any LGBTQ people here.  It’s hard to know who exactly is hiding here, but for sure they’re hiding.

In 2 Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul says we are called to the ministry of reconciliation - restoring broken relationships with God and with one another.  In regards to LGBTQ people, the church has a lot of reconciling work to do…not only with those who are LGBTQ, but also their family and friends.  This is work that we are called to do, and especially in this time and this place.

I know that this is difficult.  Our culture has raised us to be anti-LGBTQ, even to the point of anger and revulsion.  We have been trained to react negatively to non-heterosexual behavior.  It takes time to unlearn what has been ingrained in us so deeply.

I hope we’ll keep on moving forward.  It’s the least we can do.

Thanks for reading.