Imani MCC of Durham

I’ve spent a lot of time, in the last week, thinking about intimate covenant relationships. That is because BJ and I attended a couples’ retreat, sponsored by the Infinity Diamond Club, from Wednesday through Sunday of last week. It was an awesome experience!

There were several workshops and discussions, facilitated by some wonderfully inspiring presenters. Folks who read this blog may recognize some of their names: Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder and her spouse, Shirley Miller; Bishop Tonyia Rawls and her spouse, Gwen Rawls; Angie Harvey; and Joi Rhone.

The retreat reminded me of the importance of affirming and supportive community for all covenant relationships and/or marriages; but I am speaking particularly about those of LGBT Christian couples. Affirming and supportive community can be hard to come by, for many of us. They say you can’t miss what you never had, but I believe you can. You just might not realize that your experience is what it is because of what is missing from it.

“There are days that you just know were Divinely ordained to usher in a new era in your life and ministry. Today was such a day.” My Facebook status for Saturday, November 2nd, begins with those words. I was referring to one of the most glorious occasions I have celebrated in a very long time - my Installation as the third Senior Pastor of Imani Metropolitan Community Church.

The road to get to that point was not without its bumps, but as is always the case with Divinely ordained events, the almost-tangible sense of the “rightness” of what was happening - expressed repeatedly and shared (I believe) by everyone in the room - made everything it took to get there worth it.