Faces of Pride
In celebration of Pride Month, we are featuring stories from members of a newly-formed ministry, Queer Community of St. Paul’s.
Brandy Scholl
Hello! I’m Brandy Scholl. I was asked if I would share my story of coming to St. Paul’s and what it has meant to me—specifically in regard to the Queer Community of St. Paul’s, where I’m an Ally. One day one of my brothers had a hard conversation with me. I was going at a different church and had been there for 20+ years. My brother asked me to read this church’s beliefs on marriage, which stated that marriage was meant to be between a woman and a man only. Both of my brothers are gay, and my best friend is transgender. My brother challenged me to find a place of worship that shared my beliefs about marriage and about humanities in general. He challenged me to find a church that would be inclusive to everyone.
In my research, I looked for churches the shared my values of inclusivity. My goal was the find place where my two brothers who are gay, my best friend who is transgender, and the Queer Community in general were not only respected but invited to be an active part of the church and community. I found that The Episcopal Church proclaims these values of inclusivity that I hold dear to my heart and soul.
The first Sunday I attended St. Paul’s there was an announcement: on Wednesday they were going to be working on the float for the pride parade. I knew those words told me These are my people. Since then, I have found a peace at St. Paul’s I cannot explain and have not experienced before. It’s a sense of true belonging, just as I am. I have found a place where I can worship and share common values and beliefs with others around me. I have found a place of Grace. I’m so grateful my brother challenged me to find a different place of worship.
Susie & Jim Norys
Susie: Our Baptismal Covenant asks, “Will you seek to serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?” I love that here, at St. Paul's, there is visible action behind this promise. I support our queer community in answer to this promise.
Jim: I feel called to walk in love as Jesus taught. And that is why I support our Queer Community. Jesus said, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35).
Fr. Kathy Corbett-Welch
The Reverend Kathy Corbett-Welch is a native of Boston, MA. She was brought up in the Roman Catholic tradition. In her late 30s she became disillusioned by the church, particularly because of its treatment of women and homosexuals. She went to church searching and found nothing to feed her spirit. One evening she was reading the Bay Windows, Boston’s gay newspaper, and saw an ad for a church that said, “Open to all people.” Kathy decided to see if it was true. St John the Evangelist was indeed a welcoming, warm and caring place. It became her spiritual home and nurtured her call to Ordination.
Taylor Allen & Ciara Coleman
Taylor and Ciara found St Paul's shortly after finding each other—a chance visit one spring morning led them to become a part of this welcoming community. Taylor, who had recently moved to Northwest Arkansas, found comfort in the familiarity of the Episcopalian tradition she had begun exploring before the pandemic and Ciara found a loving church home following a difficult break with her prior church after coming out. Over the last year and a half at St. Paul's, Taylor and Ciara have been overwhelmed at the love and support they have been shown and enjoyed the chance to fellowship with other members as part of the Church clean up days and as founding members of the Queer Community of St. Paul's. Both Taylor and Ciara look forward to deepening their relationship with Christ and St. Paul’s as they prepare for their upcoming wedding next May.
Maria & Lesly Rodriguez
We began attending online services approximately two years ago, as we had been seeking a home church/community to grow in our spiritual journey within our family and nurture our son’s spiritual life as well. What stuck with us from the online services was the phrase, “Whoever you are, wherever you are, you are welcomed in this place.” For years we yearned to find a place where we could walk alongside other people who were on a similar journey of finding love and acceptance in a place where Q+ members had often been shunned or shut out of with no acceptance. St. Paul’s has been a fresh breath of air and a place where we feel accepted, loved and welcomed. We’ve discovered that St. Paul’s values and beliefs aren’t just spoken words, but words with actions—from community meals, outreach programs, educational opportunities, community outreach—this is a church that really walks the talk. We are so grateful that we are able to have a seat at the table and nurture our spirit with some of the kindest people in our community.