Nlcch.org
Title
Welcome to New Life Community Church :: Home
Description
I resigned the church that I founded with my wife, New Life Christian Assembly (UPC)in LaPorte, Indiana, in late November 1996. The time had come for me to take time to find myself and "come out." I temporarily relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, for approximately 5 months. I had attended a TEN Conference in Vancouver, B.C., over Labor Day weekend that same year. I had gone there with hesitation, anticipation and hope. I was determined that I would not forfeit my relationship with Jesus Christ to follow something that could not be backed by the word of God. I also knew, after 32 years of serving God in Apostolic Pentecostal churches, that I would know if these people I was about to meet were real or fakes. Much to my surprise and delight, God Almighty was also there. The stories that I heard that weekend were almost ditto of my own. The messages I heard challenged my heart. For once, instead of feeling like a reject that had a big secret to hide and be ashamed of, I found an atmosphere of love, acceptance and peace. "There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) That weekend I made life long friends; some of which serve in ministry with me. I also made a life long commitment to God to never forget the load of guilt and shame that was lifted off of me that weekend. I was truly delivered, but it wasn't from my orientation. I have no doubts that I was gay from inception. However, I was delivered from darkness, ignorance, bigotry, lies, hate and shame. Now I could go forward and serve my loving God with my whole heart and soul knowing that being gay was not a disqualification, but rather a gift and honor that I was now ready to be proud of. No longer would I tolerate bible abuse and a rhetoric of hate that many Christians embrace without even thinking it through or seriously studying scriptural context. I challenge any honest hearted individual or concerned parent who might have a gay son or daughter, to search and inquire of the Lord and see if there just might be variance found from the traditional anti-homosexual stance that has always been accepted without question.
While living in Phoenix I attended Casa de Cristo Evangelical Church pastored by Rev. Ronnie Pigg. This congregation, in the heart of Phoenix's gay community, is one of the oldest Christian/gay congregations in North America. I also fellowshipped with Pastor Patrick and Community Church of Hope, also located in this same general area of Phoenix. It was there, at a church concert, that I met the man who would become my life partner, Dan Wright. He and I began to date and realized after 7 months that God had definitely brought us together. Dan was raised LDS(Mormon). As we grew to know each other more intently, it became very obvious to me that his hunger for truth surpassed anyone I had met in a long time. We had long conversations on spiritual matters and we spent hours discussing scripture. He shared his life stories of the Mormon way of life and I shared my stories of being in the Apostolic church since my early teen years. We realized that our meeting wasn't chance. Rather, God had ordained that I meet the man that would become my partner in life and would serve as my associate in the church that we would pastor together in NW Indiana. After my temporary assignment with Northwest Airlines was over in Phoenix, I worked in Seattle from June through Labor Day weekend '97. After this, I returned to NW Indiana thinking I was coming back to sell out and relocate either to Phoenix or Seattle. But, God had other plans!!
While I was in Seattle working for the summer, I had occasion to fly to Chicago to speak to a group trying to form a full gospel church in the gay community there. We had a pleasant time of fellowship and I actually felt if God led, I would go there and be their pastor. However, by the time I returned to Indiana, the two gentlemen who were basically over the fellowship had moved to NW Indiana. After a few visits with them, I began to feel the unctioning of the Holy Spirit to consider opening a church in NW Indiana. I began to realize that there were lots of gay people in the area and absolutely no church for them to fellowship in. When I met new gay friends, I found that almost all of them longed for a spiritual outlet where they could receive godly counsel and instruction. Most of them had become disenfranchised from their former churches because of their sexuality. God didn't have to knock me down to convince me of the need for a church in our area. So, I said "Yes, Lord!" On November 2, 1997, we held the first Sunday service in my home, and we have been going strong ever since. Dan moved to LaPorte on November 12 and has been by my side ever since hewing out this unique work for the Lord.
Contact
- New Life Community Church of Hope
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- LaPorte Indiana
- United States 46350
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- +1.2198711033
