Community | November 14, 2010 | 15 comments

Suicides Prompt Megachurch Pastor to Come Out

source: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/11/13/c1main.jim.swilley.cnn.jpg

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EthicalVegan
Suicides prompt pastor to come out

November 13th, 2010
10:47 PM ET

Pastor says student's suicide was tipping point for his coming out

The founder and pastor of a Georgia megachurch said Saturday that the September suicide of a Rutgers University student was the tipping point for his decision to come out of the closet to his congregation.

"For some reason, his situation was kind of the tipping point with me," said Jim Swilley, who calls himself as a bishop. "There comes a point in your life where you say - how much time do we have left in our lives? Are we going to be authentic or not?"

Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, 18, jumped off a bridge after a secretly-taped sexual encounter between him and another man was posted on the internet.

Swilley, 52, said that he has known he is gay since childhood, but that he never thought he would live openly. He came out recently after more than 20 years of marriage to his former wife, who continues to work at their church.

"At a certain point, you are who you are," said Swilley, who has four children from two marriages.

He ministers at the Church in the Now, an inter-donominational Christian church in Conyers, Georgia, about 25 miles east of Atlanta.

"What I told my church is that I was given two things in my life that I didn't ask for... one is the call of God in my life and the other is my orientation. I didn't ever think that those two things could be compatible," Swilley said.

On the whole, he said his congregation has been supportive of his coming out, though some people have cut ties with him over the decision.

Homosexuality is a hotly contested issue by many faith traditions.

Earlier this month, Gene Robinson - the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church - said that death threats and the continued controversy around his selection contributed to his decision to announce his retirement.

Speaking specifically about evangelicals, Swilley said gay people are sometimes seen as trying to build a movement, or "recruiting" - views he took serious issue with.

"My position is not about gaying up the church," he said. "It's about people being who they are."

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http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/11/13/c1main.jim.swilley.cnn.jpg
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15 comments // Suicides Prompt Megachurch Pastor to Come Out

  • beenn15
    • -2
      beenn15  

    • why do some gay people feel the need to be church leaders. Surely, they must know that God doesn't have pity on them, unless they vowed to change (which could be impossible).
      I don't understand why they would want to change the bible. It's like asking a serial killer to preach the "good word" knowing full well he's gonna kill somebody that night.

      Being a church leader isn't for you. The bible doesn't condone the behavior, and you can't change the bible.

    • 1 year ago
  • Chopstick
  • Chopstick
    • +2
      Chopstick  

    • My very very religious family still lives in Conyers where the church is located, and this is took more guts than anyone can imagine. Finally, I man that can preach about what the bible is really about. And that is love. He admits to an understanding of the word and the bible that my pastor told me that I would just have to leave up to faith. Above all, I want to say thank you Bishop Swilley for being a real man by being true to yourself and g-d.

    • 1 year ago
  • telcod
  • 5ka
  • randallr01
  • Pollo_Loco_
  • telcod
    • +2
      telcod  
    • Pollo_Loco_:

      Once we get the church out of Christian, we will all be more comfortable with Christianity. God said, "Think for yourself." And if He didn't get it written down by some semi illiterate scribe, then we outta fix that for Him.

    • 1 year ago
  • thornman
  • Chopstick
  • pandaman2105
    • +2
      pandaman2105  

    • who knows if he was previously the hateful type, but c'mon...he found his open-minded balls and came out loud and proud!

      now we just have to see if the media positively highlights this example of progress or the redundant bullshit from his evangelical peers rising up to call him satanic and filthy.

    • 1 year ago
  • Chopstick
  • telcod
    • 0
      telcod  

    • Let's see ........ everybody has a secret life. Trust no one. Do as I say not as I do. It's more important to run a big church than be, what was the quote? "Authentic?" Nothing better than a reformed sinner. Even if the "sinner" is still "sinning". Personally, just not up for fan clubs, even Gods. No problem with God, though. And then, there is the, "Really, why now?"

    • 1 year ago
  • Chango2000
    • +3
      Chango2000  

    • no doubt he was probably preaching the whole "gay recruitment" nonsense beforehand, however. now after coming out , find it confusing that he would stay with an organization that would believe that sort of thing.

    • 1 year ago
  • CalgarC
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