Pastor’s Day @ The Retreat
The LGBTQ+ Christian experience is best understood through listening to the journeys of LGBTQ+ followers of Jesus. Pastor’s Day @ the Retreat provides the chance to worship, learn, and reflect in a space where LGBTQ+ Christians are the majority. For many ministry leaders, this is a rare opportunity and one that illumines God moving at the intersection of faith, gender, and sexuality in a way that our best hermeneutics and exegesis cannot. In addition to learning with our LGBTQ+ siblings in Christ, pastors will also have sessions with other pastors to share best practices and lessons learned in navigating these matters in our congregations.
Thoughts from a participant @ Pastor’s Day:
“I had the privilege of spending the day with a group of people who identify as both LGBTQ and Christian. It was a great opportunity for me to listen, learn and hear stories of how they are trying to come to grips with their own sexuality and the Scriptures. They were courageous to invite a bunch of (mainly conservative) pastors into their retreat, especially after many had hurtful experiences in the church. It was a true honour to spend time listening to their stories and coming to a greater understanding of their experience. The issues surrounding LGBTQ people and the church are complex and divisive, and many views were represented even today at the conference. But whatever the theological viewpoint, I think relationships, dialogue, and friendships are the key to moving forward in a healthy and Jesus-like way. Grateful for the opportunity to grow.”
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“In all my devotion to cultivating communities of belonging, I have not been more welcomed by another group. Thank you for your hospitality GS”
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“This group is deeply committed to the life and ministry of Jesus. This shared commonality is greater than any difference”
Who is welcome?
If you are actively reflecting on how the Christian community can faithfully enfold LGBTQ+ people into the life of the church, you are welcome. Generous Space is committed to extending respect and dignity to all people, honouring people’s convictions and conscience. It is, therefore, a community where there are different interpretive conclusions on matters related to the discipleship journey of LGBTQ+ people. We see this difference not as a problem to fix, but as an opportunity for growth in learning to love well.
We invite our guests for Pastor’s Day @ the Retreat to adopt a learner’s posture and to practice active listening as you engage other retreat participants. Many of our LGBTQ+ siblings in Christ have been hurt within the Christian community. They are extending a gift of hospitality to the pastors and leaders who come. Across our differences, and throughout the weekend, we reinforce a dialogical posture where we seek to understand each other rather than debate with or persuade one another. It is our expectation that visiting pastors will honour this commitment.
Where is it?
Pastors’ Day happens concurrently with our West Coast Generous Space Retreat, which is held annually at gorgeous Camp Squeah, in Hope, BC. It’s located 170 km east of Vancouver, and is reachable within 2 hours’ drive of almost anywhere in the Lower Mainland. Carpool options are also available upon request.
Schedule
9:15 am – Registration
9:30 am – Main Session: Worship & Keynote Speaker
11:30 am – Opening Pastors’ Gathering with Wendy VanderWal-Gritter
12:30 pm – Lunch
1:30 pm – Workshop
2:45 pm – Q&A with LGBTQ+ Generous Space staff members
3:30 pm – Pastors’ Debrief with Wendy VanderWal-Gritter
5:00 pm – End
Keynote Speaker: Jenna Tenn-Yuk
Jenna Tenn-Yuk is a writer, speaker, facilitator and performer who has spoken internationally at Harvard and The Walrus Talks. Her writing has appeared in Broadview, CBC, HuffPost, Ottawa Citizen and Geez, among others. She is a graduate of Carleton University’s journalism program and has a master’s degree in gender studies from the U of Ottawa, where she lectured on spoken word and activism. Jenna was a Vancouver Biennale artist-in-residence and has given keynote talks on LGBTQ2S+ inclusion at Catholic high schools across Ontario. She believes in the power of storytelling to break silences, connect people and change the world around us. She lives in Toronto where she works as a writing coach at Firefly Creative Writing. Learn more about Jenna at jennatennyuk.com.
What else can I expect?
Worship… we will enter into corporate worship through music, litany, and prayer.
Main Session… may include scriptural reflections, panel discussions, interviews, and times of communal input, as well as amazing guest speakers!
Opening Gathering with Wendy… where you can meet other pastors whose churches may be on similar journeys with this conversation, learn more about the posture of Generous Space, and ask questions to our ED, Wendy VanderWal Gritter
Workshops… you will have the opportunity to choose from among several different workshops about hermeneutics, ethics, and LGBTQ+ experiences.
Debriefing… at the end of the day, pastors and leaders will have the opportunity to reflect together on their learning, take-aways for their community, and next steps in nurturing Generous Space in their own contexts.
Here are some of the workshops you’ll be able to choose from…
The Queer and Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts – Robbie Walker
The Holy Spirit is queer, gentle, and full of fire–and at moment’s notice, she can mess us up! Come and explore the activities of the Holy Spirit in the earliest Church, and how the messes (s)he made then are still Good News for LGBTQ2S+ peoples today. Bring your Bible (if you have one), your questions, your curiosity, your playfulness… and perhaps your desire to know Holy Spirit better than you do now. There will be lots of opportunity for discussion!
Robbie Walker is working toward the PhD Theological Studies from the University of Toronto, focusing on embodiment in Queer and Pentecostal theologies. As someone who lives with cerebral palsy, Robbie seeks to apply Christian practices of nonviolence to healing ministry, and wants to be a Holy Spirit flamer–it’s biblical! Robbie’s not-so-inner geek waits eagerly for each new episode of The Voice, The 100, and Star Trek: Discovery.
Stages of Change: Moving to Affirmation – Wendy Vanderwal Gritter
This workshop will consider the stages that an individual goes through to move from resistance to affirming. And together we’ll reflect on what the journey can look like in communities of faith. Come with your stories and experiences as we explore mapping the stages of change.
Dr. Wendy Vanderwal Gritter is the Executive Director at Generous Space Ministries. Read more about her here!
Coming Out and Family Dynamics – Dr. Paddy Ducklow
Coming out can be stressful for LGBTQ+ people and their families. Paddy will lead an informal discussion with psycho-spiritual commentary about the tensions of disclosure, the roles we play in our families, and how we can navigate change in healthier ways. Everyone is welcome to come and join the conversation, including parents who have had their child(ren) come out to them, and LGBTQ+ people who have come out (or may one day come out) to their families.
Paddy Ducklow is a paradoxical pilgrim, past tense pastor, pouter when things don’t go his way, partner (48 years), parent of 2, poppa of 3, (im)patient people-person, psychologist (private practice), pastoral theology professor, and privileged — a plethora of purposeful P’s.
Exploring Identities & Intersections Beyond the “+” – Becca Sawyer & Beth Carlson-Malena
Many people could probably tell you which identities are represented in the acronym ‘LGBT’, but what about any beyond those four? What about the + in LGBT+? This workshop will explore the identities that often get overlooked in queer spaces, including queer, asexual, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit, and more. We’ll also talk about other intersecting factors in our identity (e.g. race, class) that further impact how we’re perceived and treated, and discuss how we might work to create more belonging and equity at Generous Space and in our other communities. No matter how little or how much experience you have with this discussion, you’re welcome to bring your questions and your insights – we can all learn from one another!
Becca Sawyer is the Events Manager for Generous Space. You can read more about her here.
Beth Carlson-Malena is a Co-Director of Community at Generous Space Ministries. Read more about her here!
How much does it cost?
$90 CAD
Registration includes the full day of programming with lunch provided.
Registration space is limited on a first-come-first-serve basis.