OUR BELIEFS ON SEXUALITY AND IDENTITY
We believe that every person is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), created with dignity, purpose, and value. Sexuality, like every part of humanity, is a beautiful gift designed by God—and also an area deeply affected by the brokenness of sin. This reality makes conversations around sexuality and gender complex and often painful. For many, these are not theoretical questions but personal experiences that carry stories of desire, disappointment, rejection, or shame.
As a church, we seek to hold the tension of biblical conviction and Christlike compassion, affirming both the authority of Scripture and the worth of every human being. We acknowledge that the Church has not always represented Jesus well in these matters. Too often, people have been shamed, silenced, or rejected rather than seen, loved, and discipled. At times, churches have been quick to condemn and slow to listen. We grieve these failures and repent of them. Our calling is not to add to people’s burdens, but to embody the way of Jesus—full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
The Bible is an identity book. It tells us who God is, who we are, and what our purpose is. At its core, Scripture reveals a Father who is good and loving, who wants the very best for His children—and He Himself is that best gift (John 3:16–17). Our truest calling is to live in loving connection with Him and with one another.
The incarnation of Jesus and His resurrection remind us that our bodies matter deeply to God—temples of the Holy Spirit, created for His glory and destined for renewal (1 Corinthians 6:19; 15:42–44). To be human is to be invited into adoption as sons and daughters of God (Galatians 3:26–28). From the beginning, God created humanity as male and female (Genesis 1:27). This distinction was not random but intentional. Masculinity and femininity are equal and complementary, together reflecting something of God’s own nature. In marriage, the union of man and woman becomes a covenant of love and a “one flesh” relationship (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6), pointing to the mystery of Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:31–32).
This design is written into our very biology. Every cell in the human body testifies to maleness or femaleness. While men and women are similar in countless ways, our reproductive systems uniquely require the other to bring forth new life. This interdependence speaks of God’s wisdom and creativity. Our gender is not arbitrarily ‘assigned,’ but revealed in our created bodies—part of God’s intentional design that speaks of who we are and whose we are. Even in the rare cases of intersex conditions, biological sex is the starting point from which medicine works to bring clarity.
God made us sexual beings before sin entered the world; sexuality itself is God’s good gift, though distorted by sin. Because sexuality is His gift, He also gives us boundaries for its expression. Like fire in a fireplace, it brings warmth and life within His order; outside of it, it brings harm. Scripture consistently emphasizes that sexual intimacy was designed for expression in marriage between one man and one woman. These boundaries are not subjective restrictions, but expressions of God’s wisdom and love. Because of this, we believe all sexual behavior outside of marriage between a man and a woman—whether heterosexual or homosexual—is outside of God’s design. This does not negate a person’s worth or dignity, but speaks to the boundaries God sets for our flourishing.
Likewise, we hold that our gender is rooted in God’s creation of us as male or female, revealed in our bodies and affirmed in Scripture. While cultural narratives may suggest otherwise, we do not look first to desire, attraction, or internal perception to define identity, but to God’s creative intent revealed in Scripture and creation itself. Where our inner experience conflicts with God’s design, the call of Christ is not to shame or self-rejection but to surrender. This surrender is not self-rejection; it is trust in the God who knows us better than we know ourselves, and whose design leads to wholeness and flourishing.
The invitation of Jesus is not into shame, but into freedom — freedom from sin, freedom to live as new creations, and freedom to walk in intimacy with God (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:1). Transformation is not achieved by willpower or religious effort. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, the authority of God’s Word, and the grace of Christian community over time. Every believer is on a journey of sanctification, and in this journey, no one walks alone (Galatians 6:1–2; James 5:16).
As a church, our posture is to hold conviction with compassion. We do not believe truth and love are opposites, but companions. We reject shame, coercion, and hostility. Instead, we seek to walk with humility, to honor the dignity of every person, and to create safe spaces where questions can be asked, stories can be shared, and discipleship can happen.
