Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Speaks Out for Bullied Gay Teens

When I left the Roman Catholic Church I briefly joined the Episcopal Church. About a year later by pure happenstance I went to First Lutheran Church in Norfolk (pictured at left) one Sunday and ultimately found a new home. Yes, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ("ELCA") and the Episcopal Church have strong similarities, but as a former Catholic, the move to the ELCA was more seamless. From my experience, the denomination is for the most part what Christians should be as opposed to the hate merchants of the Christian Right who seem to model their behavior on that of the Biblical Pharisees rather than Christ. Bishop Mark Hanson, the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, lends his voice to the "It Gets Better" project in a new video. In it he says the following:

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"Sometimes the words of my Christian brothers and sisters have hurt you. I also know that our silence causes you pain...You are a beloved child of God. Your life carries the beauty and dignity of God's creation...There is a place for you in this world, and in this Church."

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I sincerely encourage LGBT Christians in need of a church home to check out the ELCA. Here's the video:
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