Coming Out Christian - A LOVEboldly Podcast

"What the Church Got Wrong About Sex" with Gwendolyn DeRosa

Coming Out Christian | Season 3, Episode 9 Guest: Gwendolyn DeRosa What if the church's teaching on sex and bodies has been doing more harm than good and what would it look like to tell a different story? Gwendolyn "Gwen" DeRosa (she/they) is a storyteller, queer theologian, and community builder with a passion for inclusive faith. As Director of Student Ministries at King Avenue United Methodist Church in Columbus, Ohio, she leads faith education and fellowship for birth through high school, and serves as director of Kinship Campus Ministry, which builds connections within the Ohio State University campus and beyond. Gwen, who is bi/pan/Queer, and their wife Felicia, who is transgender, are Queer activists in Columbus — and Felicia's transition journey was documented in the 2021 film DeRosa: Life, Love & Art in Transition, available on major streaming platforms. In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and the Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with Gwen for a candid conversation about purity culture, sex, and the ways the church has used sexual shame and guilt to marginalize women and people of other genders. It's an honest reckoning with the damage done and a hopeful look at what the church could be instead. Brave, necessary, and long overdue. * 📲 Follow Gwen on Instagram: @gwendolynderosa * ⛪ Visit King Avenue UMC: kingave.org [http://kingave.org] * 🎓 Learn about Kinship Campus Ministry: kingave.org/ministries/kinship-campus-ministry [http://kingave.org/ministries/kinship-campus-ministry] * 🎙️ Follow the podcast on Instagram: @comingoutchristian_podcast * 🌈 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly

"Affirming Every Part of Me" with Anna Ray

Coming Out Christian | Season 3, Episode 8 Guest: Anna Ray What does it look like to grow up Queer, Biracial, and Christian — and actually feel seen by your church? Anna Ray (she/her) is a dynamic leader and community connector whose career has spanned insurance underwriting, executive and nonprofit administration, event management, and catering. Originally from the suburbs of Minneapolis, Anna earned her BA in Business from Howard University and fell in love with Washington, DC, in the process. Today she serves as a Cannabis Licensing Program Specialist with the District of Columbia and a League Cycling Instructor with the League of American Bicyclists, and shares her life with her husband Dane and their children. In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and the Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with Anna to explore what it meant to grow up biracial in the suburban Midwest and then arrive at Howard University and Washington, DC, and how both shaped her sense of self. Anna shares about finding faith communities that affirmed not only her Queer identity but also her role as a mother and her children's identities. It's a refreshingly hopeful conversation about what the church can be when it gets things right. Warm, grounded, and genuinely encouraging — this one will leave you hopeful. * 📲 Follow Anna: @meettherays * 🎙️ Follow the podcast: @comingoutchristian_podcast * 🌈 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly

"Mixed Orientation, Whole Hearts" with the Rev. Dale Lykins

Coming Out Christian | Season 3, Episode 7 Guest: Rev. Dale Lykins What happens when a pastor spends 30 years serving the church — and then realizes the church isn't serving the people it's meant to reach? Rev. Dale Lykins gave more than three decades to United Methodist ministry before stepping away to found The Open Table, an inclusive and affirming community where people are welcomed exactly as they are. Around the same time, Dale came out as gay — and began a new chapter of authenticity, creativity, and connection through coaching, writing, podcasting, and his memoir Hush, Child. In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with Dale to explore his journey from UMC pastor to founder of a new kind of faith community. They also have an honest and nuanced conversation about mixed-orientation marriages — what they are, how they can work, and what it looks like for couples navigating faith, identity, and commitment together when one partner comes out. Honest, courageous, and full of grace — this is a conversation the church needs to have. * 📖 Get Dale's memoir: Hush, Child [https://www.dalelykins.com/hushchild] * 📝 Read The Unlearning Blog: theunlearningblog.substack.com [http://theunlearningblog.substack.com] * 🌐 Visit Dale's website: dalelykins.com [http://dalelykins.com] * 📲 Follow Dale: dale.lykins (Facebook) | @wdlykins (Instagram & TikTok) * 🎧 Listen to Dale's podcast, "Hear it From Me," on Spotify and Apple Podcasts * 🎙️ Follow "Coming Out Christian" on Instagram: @comingoutchristian_podcast * 🌈 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly

"Faith in a Digital World" with the Rev. Jim Keat

Coming Out Christian | Season 3, Episode 6 | Guest: Rev. Jim Keat What does it mean to use the internet for good — and what does faith look like in a digital world? Rev. Jim Keat is the Minister of Digital Worship & Education at The Riverside Church in New York City [https://trcnyc.org] and Director of Online Innovation at the Convergence Network [https://convergenceus.org], where he creates original content, cultivates online faith communities, and equips progressive faith leaders to use digital ministry well. His projects include Bible in a Minute, The Word Made Fresh, Sermon on the Runs, and more. In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with Jim to explore what digital ministry looks like in 2026 and why it matters more than ever. They dig into Bible in a Minute, Jim's current big project, and talk about how Jim became an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community — and how he's intentionally raising his sons to be allies too. And because Siobhan and Jim share a love of running, that comes up too. Warm, visionary, and practically inspiring — this one is for anyone who's ever wondered if the church can meet people where they actually are. * 💻 Visit Jim's website: jimkeat.com [http://jimkeat.com] * 📲 Follow Jim: @RevJimRuns (TikTok, YouTube & Instagram) | @JimKeat on Substack * 📖 Follow Bible in a Minute: @bibleinamin * 🎙️ Follow the podcast: @comingoutchristian_podcast * 🌈 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly

"Why Our Tears Matter" with the Rev. Ben Perry

Coming Out Christian | Season 3, Episode 5 | Guest: Rev. Benjamin Perry When's the last time you let yourself cry — and what did you do with it? Rev. Benjamin Perry is an ordained minister, award-winning writer, and the author of Cry, Baby: Why Our Tears Matter. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Slate, and Religion News Service, and he's been featured by the BBC, TIME, NPR, and 10 Percent Happier. Based in Maine, they serve on the board of OUTMaine, offer queer theology trainings in local congregations, and serve as Director of Communications at Garrett Seminary. In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with Ben to explore what our tears have to tell us — about grief, masculinity, embodiment, and what it means to be fully human. They also dig into the church's complicated relationship with LGBTQIA+ people: where it falls short, where it gets it right, and what it might look like to truly celebrate queer lives rather than merely tolerate them. Tender, honest, and unexpectedly joyful — this one will stay with you. * 📚 Get the book: Cry, Baby [https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506485119/Cry-Baby] * 🌐 Visit Ben's website: benjaminjperry.com [http://benjaminjperry.com] * 📲 Follow Ben: @FaithfullyBP * 🎙️ Follow the podcast: @comingoutchristian_podcast * 🌈 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly