Even though the Boston session of the Q Conference had no set agenda, LGBT issues dominated the conversation. For those unfamiliar with Q ideas, which hosts conferences like the one held in Boston across the country, the “learning community” aims “to see Christians, especially leaders, recover a vision for their historic responsibility to renew and restore cultures,” according its mission statement.
In an April 27 posting on Crux, a Boston-based website that covers the Catholic Church, Jonathan Merritt of Religious New service reported:
“Last week, [Tremont Temple Baptist Church’s] massive auditorium played host … when 1,300 Christian leaders gathered for the Q conference to discuss the most pressing issues facing their faith. There was no official theme, but one strand wove its way through multiple presentations and conversations: America’s — and many Christians’ — debate over sexuality.
While at least three other Christian conferences during the past year focused on same-sex debates, this is the only one to bring together both pro-gay speakers and those who oppose gay marriage and same-sex relationships.
‘The aim of Q is to create space for learning and conversation, and we think the best way to do that is exposure,’ said Q founder Gabe Lyons. ‘These are conversations that most of America is having, and they are not going away.’
Which is not to say Lyons’ decision was without controversy.
Eric Teetsel, executive director of the Manhattan Declaration project that aims to rally resistance to same-sex marriage, urged Lyons to rescind his invitations to pro-gay panelists, whom he called false prophets professing to be Christians. …
Lyons did not respond publicly to the criticism, but said such positions were rooted in fear. …
By committing to this sort of dialogue, the Q conference is a microcosm of the larger debate on same-sex issues happening around many kitchen tables in Christian America. These conversations have moved beyond outmoded questions such as ‘Is homosexuality a choice?’ and ‘Can gay people be made straight through prayer and counseling?’ and instead wrestle with biblical interpretation and questions of how LGBT people of faith should live.
But more importantly, the shift in this year’s Q conference reflects the reality that those conversations do not occur in echo chambers of monologue, isolated from those who disagree. They happen between gay and straight people, between traditionalists and progressives, between young and old. Some are maintaining their long-held views, others have changed their minds, and still others aren’t really sure what they believe.”
