Ben and SeanBen Fitzgerald-Fye is Director of Mission Services for Goodwill Industries of North Central PA, Inc., and a Ruling Elder at the Presbyterian Church of Punxsutawney; his husband, Sean, is a Deacon.  Ben shared this reflection after he and Sean attended the Regional Conference at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill on Saturday, February 7.

We live in a moment of cautious optimism about the impending decisions that will ultimately settle the legal issue of marriage equality.  The expansion of legal recognition has moved so fast that we find ourselves delighted and stunned at the same time.  This summer, the Supreme Court could potentially decide this issue for the nation and our collective consciousness holds its breath in anticipation.  In this moment of potential and hope, we must also begin to reflect on where our work goes after the dust has settled.  We must always be asking ourselves, “What’s next?”

The struggle for the full inclusion of LGBTQ people in the church does not suddenly get easier or come to an end if the legal right to marry is achieved.  Our presence as voices in the church remains relatively new and our journey toward an inclusive church is far from over.  Theological disagreements will persist and the forces of exclusion will remain long after the legal and polity issues are resolved.  If anything, it will become even more important for us to be seen and to be open in our congregations, presbyteries, and the denomination.  Our stories need to be heard more than ever.  Our visibility is required as Presbyterians across this country begin to have the conversations and debates that will either help or hinder the progress of marriage acceptance in hearts and minds.  In short, it will become crucial to our work for LGBTQ Presbyterians, and Christians in general, to embrace their religious coming out.  We are not only part of the conversation about the future of the affirming church, we are the heart and soul of that conversation.

As the right to marriage becomes a reality, we must also begin to address the responsibility of marriage. The language in Amendment 14-F reminds us that, as people of faith, we believe that “Marriage is a gift God has given to all humankind for the well-being of the entire human family,” and that marriage “involves a unique commitment between two people.”  As LGBTQ people of faith, the work of defining that commitment and being good stewards of that gift has only just begun.  Beyond civil recognition, marriage must witness as a symbol of our dedication to God’s truth as it relates to the creation of family and the serious commitment that marriage represents.  LGBTQ people of faith are embracing the sacredness of our relationships.  We will be led into a new conversation about the moral, ethical, and spiritual realities of marriage.  As the civil and legal battles end, the work of understanding God’s expectations of marriage and our responsibility to each other in light of those expectations will become central to our collective future.

These are amazing times and we thank God for the progress that is made each day.  We also look toward the future with prayerful reverence for the gifts that God is giving us.  We have much work to do in our local and global communities as we work toward true and affirming inclusion and toward the development of marriages that best reflect the gifts of God.  We can do this work and we can do it well.  God’s blessing on each and every one of you.