In this compelling episode of HeavenEarth Church Pastor Ross Stackhouse, opens up about his personal journey of growth, faith, and transformation regarding LGBTQ inclusion within the Christian community. Raised in a rural environment with rigid biblical interpretations, Ross Stackhouse candidly recounts how his understanding evolved as he encountered new environments and people, prompting deep spiritual and personal change.
Beginning with memories of moving to graduate school, Ross Stackhouse describes feeling shocked by the presence of openly LGBTQ students in faith spaces 00:33. Initially, his prayers were more about reinforcing his previous convictions than seeking understanding 00:55, but over time, meaningful interactions with LGBTQ Christians stirred his curiosity and humility. He expresses regret over how long it took to develop a more inclusive outlook 01:12, emphasizing his grief for prior hesitation.
A pivotal moment came when a close friend's sister vulnerably asked Ross Stackhouse if her identity meant she was destined for hell 02:04. Encounters like these, coupled with continued friendships and relentless prayer for guidance, challenged and reshaped his theology and his view of scripture 02:25.
Drawing on biblical narratives, Ross Stackhouse illuminates parallels between the church’s historic boundaries and the radical inclusivity modeled by Jesus. He references Acts 10 and John 4, comparing the exclusion of Gentiles and Samaritans to the marginalization faced by LGBTQ people today 03:43–06:09. Ultimately, Ross Stackhouse declares his conviction that the Christian movement must affirm and fully include all people, especially those who have felt like outsiders 06:13.
Key Takeaways
Humility and Curiosity Transform Faith
Ross Stackhouse emphasizes how genuine curiosity and humble prayer can lead to profound personal and theological change 00:51, moving beyond entrenched beliefs to empathetic understanding.
Powerful Encounters Drive Growth
Meaningful relationships and conversations with LGBTQ Christians—especially vulnerable moments—challenge assumptions and provide a pathway for compassion and reevaluation 02:04.
Scriptural Precedent for Radical Inclusion
Referencing stories of Gentiles and Samaritans, Ross Stackhouse argues convincingly that full inclusion is consistent with Jesus’s ministry and the early Christian movement 03:43–06:09.
Overcoming Fear of Rejection
He acknowledges his own fears about being labeled a heretic or losing acceptance but ultimately prioritizes love, belonging, and Jesus’s example over concern for critics 06:26.
A Church Built for Outsiders
Ross Stackhouse concludes by reaffirming a vision for a church that centers those who feel like outsiders, striving to create a community where everyone truly belongs 07:15.
This episode is a heartfelt, thought-provoking exploration of inclusion, spiritual growth, and what it means to enact the radically welcoming spirit of Jesus in today’s church.
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I grew up in a rural place where it is very clear. The Bible is clear as day about it. All right. I took that experience long into my— I went to graduate school. I went to go study with a person at that school. I didn't know what the school was like. This is an example of like, do your homework, people, about where you're gonna go and hang out for a couple years. I got there and at coffee hour there was like these people standing up and going like, we are the LGBTQ Alliance, blah blah blah.
Ross Stackhouse [:
And I was like, oh my God, I came to a place with heretics. So I started hanging out with them though, and I started to be curious. I realized a lot of time when I was praying to God, I wasn't praying with curiosity. I was praying about with confidence and arrogance about my convictions. Hey God, when I'm in conversation with them, will you help me to say the right thing to help them change their minds? So then, I'm sad to say it took me this much to change my mind on it. I need to say that. I grieve that it took me this much to change my mind. I grieve it.
Ross Stackhouse [:
So, and please, We welcome everyone to the table here. If you're not there yet, come and talk to me. So, I started hanging out with people who professed faith in Christ and were also LGBTQ. And when I was doing it, before I even figured out the answer, I was like, oh my God, this is exactly what Jesus was doing all along. This is, this is Jesus. I felt so energized by like, oh, I get it now. It's not a theory. You should go, like, sit with people that you don't agree with and let them teach you.
Ross Stackhouse [:
This is a marvel thought. It's crazy. And then— this is in the blog on the website— my best friend's sister came out to me with the backdrop of hellfire. She said, I'm gay, Ross. Do you think I'm going to hell? That happened almost 20 years ago, and it can almost bring tears to my eyes. And then I had another close friend. I went to an Anglican communion I had another close friend who came out to me in 2010. Now I started praying with humility and curiosity.
Ross Stackhouse [:
Lord, help me understand how to love your people. And I think you guys know this, I love the Bible. It is my life. I do not disregard its authority. I'm not flippant with what is in there. I am poring over this and praying and praying and praying and praying and praying. Amen. And then after a time, as for me, it became clear.
Ross Stackhouse [:
Just as one time— this is really important. If folks are like, this isn't biblical though, Ross, you're just saying what you want to feel. No. I realized in Jesus's own movement there was a precedent for this. Because in Jesus's tradition, Jesus is Jewish. In his tradition, could you eat with a Gentile? A Gentile is a person who's not Jewish. Maybe they like bacon. Could you eat with a Gentile? Were Gentiles allowed to come into the, the inner part of the temple? No, there was a court for the Gentiles.
Ross Stackhouse [:
So if you were born Gentile, were you fully included? What if you were born Samaritan? Were we even allowed to be in the outer temple? The outer court? Maybe. Probably not. I looked at it and I saw it clearly. Acts 10. Peter goes to the house of Cornelius. He goes to the house of Cornelius. Is Cornelius a Jew or a Gentile? Gentile. He's a centurion.
Ross Stackhouse [:
He's not just a little bit Gentile. He's got some rank. And they both pray in their own spots. Cornelius feels called to meet Peter, called to Peter. Peter feels called to go to Cornelius. This is our sent essential number 4. We have 5 discipleship essentials. One is being sent.
Ross Stackhouse [:
Let God lead you to people without knowing the answers why yet. So Peter goes to Cornelius, and while he's talking to Peter— or excuse me, while Peter's talking to Cornelius, He sees the Holy Spirit drop down on Cornelius and Peter's like— Do you think Peter's— oh look, we're tying it back to the sermon. Isn't God cool? Do you think Peter's core fears started to bubble up? What if I start associating with this guy? What if people start rejecting me? What if I step into this guy's house and start eating lunch with him? Will people reject me? Do you think he was worried about that? Praise God, do you know what Peter did? He went straight into that house. He said Gentiles are fully included now, baby. John 4, Jesus goes to a Samaritan woman. Samaritans were cockroaches. If you were born Samaritan, you weren't even a Gentile, you were a cockroach. You know what's odd? Really, a Jew and a Samaritan had pretty close beliefs.
Ross Stackhouse [:
Same. They're very close. Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well. She's been— she's not only Samaritan, she's had like 5 spouses or so, maybe. She's a Samaritan, strike one. Say strike one with me. Strike one. She's been— she's a woman, and she's been married multiple times, and she's living with someone now who's not her hubby.
Ross Stackhouse [:
Culturally, she's outcast. Yeah. She's out, out. And Jesus says, I tell you, there's a time coming when it doesn't matter if you worship on Mount Zion or Mount Gerizim. What's going to matter is if you worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Go back to your people. And in the Gospel of John, who do you imagine is the first sort of evangelist apostle in the Gospel of John? That woman. So the Christian movement fully includes Samaritans and Gentiles.
Ross Stackhouse [:
So today, I say the church should fully include and fully affirm LGBTQ people. My core fears came up when I started to first feel that way. What if I'm wrong? I'm being vulnerable now. What if I'm wrong? What if I get rejected by people, dismissed as a heretic? By the grace of God, I can tell you today, by the grace of God, I Don't care. I don't care. Do you know what I care about? Jesus and his way and how he has called me to love people who feel like they don't belong. His movement is for them, and so we should be too. Our church is for that.
Ross Stackhouse [:
Our church is— Hey, some of y'all have been insiders. Lucky for us, right? My life's been easy. To him who much is given, much is demanded. And so my life is here to go to the outsider, to create a table where they belong. So our church is about that.
