Home Podcast Rachel Gilson: How Jesus Helps Me Say No to My Same-Sex Desires

Rachel Gilson: How Jesus Helps Me Say No to My Same-Sex Desires

rachel gilson

Rachel Gilson serves on the leadership team for Theological Development and Culture at Cru. She is a graduate of Yale, earned her Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and is currently pursuing her doctorate. Rachel is the author of “Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith, and What Comes Next.” Her writing has been featured in a variety of publications, including Christianity Today and The Gospel Coalition. Rachel has been married to Andrew for 12 years and they have one daughter.

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Other Podcasts in the LGBTQ and the Church Series

Juli Slattery: This Is How the Church Can Begin the LGBTQ Conversation

Gregory Coles: It’s Possible to Be Same-Sex Attracted and Fully Surrendered to Jesus

Mark Yarhouse: How to Pastor Someone Who Has Gender Dysphoria

Ed Shaw: How God Has Used Same-Sex Attraction to Equip Me As a Pastor

Sean McDowell: Scripture Is Very Clear About God’s Design for Sexuality

Caleb Kaltenbach: Do You See the LGBTQ Community Through God’s Eyes?

Preston Sprinkle: Jesus Left the 99 to Pursue the One—And That Means Trans People

Laurence Koo: A Call for the American Church to Welcome Single (LGBTQ) Believers

Key Questions for Rachel Gilson

-How did Jesus give you the strength to say “no” to your same-sex desires and “yes” to him?

-How do you believe pastors and ministry leaders should and should not be approaching the LGBTQ conversation

-How did you end up pursuing marriage, despite the fact that you still experience same-sex attraction, and what has God taught you through marriage to Andrew?

-As a follower of Jesus, what do you think about using the terms “gay,” “queer,” or “same-sex attracted”?

Key Quotes from Rachel Gilson

“The Spirit made clear to me at the time that the only way be safe was to run was towards Jesus, not away from him. He had placed himself as a barrier between God’s wrath and me.”

“It’s been 17 years, and my same-sex attraction hasn’t gone anywhere. So part of my path to writing “Born Again This Way” was just my own years of reading the Bible, making mistakes, reading the Bible, being in community, and just trying to figure out not just how can we survive as disciples with same-sex attraction, but how can we actually thrive in Christ?” 

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Jason serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at PastorServe, a ministry committed to strengthening the Church by serving pastors through personal coaching and church consulting. He also hosts FrontStage BackStage, a podcast and YouTube show, that helps pastors embrace healthy, well-balanced leadership as they develop a sustainable rhythm for life and ministry. Prior to joining the PastorServe team, Jason served as Vice President of Ministry Mobilization at Outreach, Inc., and as the Executive Director of the National Back to Church Sunday movement. Additionally, Jason served for nearly two decades in pastoral leadership, primarily as a lead pastor, in several contexts, including church plant re-launch, multisite church, multiethnic urban church, and an established suburban church. His experience as a lead pastor has provided numerous opportunities to coach and mentor pastors across the country. Jason and his beautiful wife, Monica, are the proud parents of six children and live on Anastasia Island, Florida. @jasondaye