GETTYSBURG, Pa. — As Pride Month continues, church officials from a variety of denominations say while religion and sexual orientation often find conflict with each other, support for the LGBTQ+ community in Adams County congregations is growing.
"More churches are joining us," said Kristen Eyssel, the board president of the Unitarian Universalist's Gettysburg congregation. "We can't be but delighted to have them."
St. James Lutheran in Gettysburg also has long-standing support of the LGBTQ+ Community.
"We've been marching at Gettysburg Pride at least since 2015," Pastor Andrew Geib said. "We became a primary sponsor of Gettysburg Pride and have actually built it into our budget so we can continue to support Pride in the years ahead."
While not receiving unanimous approval within their own congregations, Geib and Associate Pastor Libby Baker-Mikesell say the overwhelming belief amongst their own cites a uniting principle of their faith.
"You can find anything you want within scripture, in the Bible, and a proof text for whatever you're looking for," Geib said. "It comes back to Jesus's greatest commandment, which is love."
"It doesn't say love the neighbor that votes the same way that you do or believes the same thing you do, or that behaves or looks like you," Baker-Mikesell said. "It doesn't have any parameters to it."
Local church involvement began as a family-friendly way to celebrate Pride, which church leaders say originally started essentially as a bar crawl. However, the growing involvement hasn't always been easy. Pastor Geib said they've had their Pride flags stolen or vandalized many times through the years.
"We have cowered away from having these conversations," Geib said. "The gospel is supposed to be a message of love."
Gettysburg College Chaplain Michael Bright said the conversation is growing on campus.
"The idea is we wanted to be open to listening and sharing our stories with one another," Bright said. "Religion and spirituality are able to help us understand our sexuality in really serious ways."
Churches are engaging with those younger than the collegiate level as well.
"We've had conversations with school board members and local people in the community," Geib said.
"We work along with an organization devoted to youth," Eysell said. "We had a couple of deaths in the last year of young people feeling they couldn't cope anymore. We've come together as a community to make sure that does not happen again."
Above all, Geib and Eysell say welcoming more members to their congregations regardless of their sexual orientation not only strengthens their bond with the community, but faith as a whole.
"The church is not a place of judgment, but one of grace," Geib said.
"In every community, there's going to be an open, affirming congregation," Eysell said. "Find them."
For more information from St. James Lutheran, click here. For more information on Unitarian Universalists, click here.