{"id":6238,"date":"2023-12-21T15:07:55","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T20:07:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/?p=6238"},"modified":"2023-12-21T16:16:14","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T21:16:14","slug":"galileo-church-expands-disciples-welcome-spiritual-refugees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/galileo-church-expands-disciples-welcome-spiritual-refugees\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Texas Church expands Disciples welcome to \u201cspiritual refugees\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Members of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States have experienced a growing wave of dangerous rhetoric and violence<\/a>. But a small Disciples congregation in Texas has had an out-sized impact on turning that tide.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Rev. Dr. Katie Hays<\/p><\/div>\n

When Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed legislation in June 2023 to bar trans minors from accessing transition-related care, Galileo Church<\/a> in Fort Worth, TX, wasn\u2019t having it. By August, they had founded a coalition of 40 individuals and organizations as the North Texas TRANSportation Network<\/a> (NTTN). NTTN provides families seeking healthcare for their trans and gender-diverse children with grants to travel out-of-state for care.<\/p>\n

Galileo has been working toward justice for queer folks since it was founded in 2013 by a 20-year veteran Disciples pastor, the Rev. Dr. Katie Hays. Dr. Hays wondered why traditional churches were unlikely to support these children’s faith journey and spiritual challenges.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI asked myself, \u2018What would it look like to accompany my beloveds?\u2019\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"

Marilyn and Kate, Galileo co-conspirators<\/p><\/div>\n

Galileo\u2019s \u201cco-conspirators,\u201d as the church calls its members, are younger, on average, than most Disciples congregations. Yet, participants include a smattering of Boomers. Joining the \u201ckingdom conspiracy\u201d requires one agreement: to prioritize the church\u2019s mission to seek and shelter spiritual refugees.<\/p>\n

Worshipers gather in person at Galileo\u2019s Big Red Barn off Interstate 20 and online. A Disciples Church Extension Fund<\/a> technology grant in 2021 helped the congregation upgrade video and processing technology to stream worship services directly from their website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In 2019, Galileo championed action by the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to encourage faith communities to prepare to welcome trans and gender-diverse guests and members. In May 2023, Disciples general church leaders issued Pastoral Letter Addressing the Unjust Rise of Anti-LGBTQIA Legislation in the United States<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Austen and L at Finn\u2019s Place<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

\u201cOur church has really picked up on the necessity to be proactive about protecting our vulnerable neighbors,\u201d says Dr. Hays.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In 2022, Galileo founded Finn\u2019s Place<\/a>, a Fort Worth community center for trans and gender-diverse adolescents and young adults to gather, grow, and flourish in a non-religious environment. The space is free for any trans service provider to use for their programming.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhile we hold the 501(c)3, Finn\u2019s isn\u2019t ours,\u201d says Rev. Dr. Katie. \u201cIt belongs to the trans community.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

By the end of 2023, NTTN \u2014 launched with support from the National Benevolent Association<\/a>\u2019s social entrepreneurship program \u2014 funded 15 families\u2019 healthcare travel and has received applications for more for anticipated travel in 2024.<\/p>\n

Galileo\u2019s Lead Evangelist understands the significance of her flock\u2019s relationship to the denomination in expanding the impact of the Texas church.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe have something exportable and valuable to offer the wider church,\u201d says Dr. Hays. \u201cThe resolution on trans folks is based on their own experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"

A worship service at Galileo<\/p><\/div>\n

Galileo contributes to a new generation of Disciples leaders who will continue to lead the charge. They currently sponsor four co-conspirators as ordination candidates.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cSpiritual refugees have not been able to imagine themselves as serving in ministry,\u201d says Dr. Hays. \u201cBut when they join Galileo, they can hear God calling them into ministry or to their gender identity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Through their ministry, Galileo shows Disciples the value of welcoming queer folks, equipping members as leaders, and standing with them in seeking justice, she says.<\/p>\n

Members of the LGBTQ+ community, from youth to teens to families, can <\/em>lead full lives free of fear, Dr. Hays says. Access to healthcare, community centers, and safe places of worship can <\/em>be a given. Galileo, she says, will continue to swim against the current until that vision is fulfilled.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Members of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States have experienced a growing wave of dangerous rhetoric and violence. But a small Disciples congregation in Texas has had an out-sized impact on turning that tide. When Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed legislation in June 2023 to bar trans minors from accessing transition-related care, Galileo […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":6247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2,5],"tags":[138,139,96,137,141,140],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nTexas Church expands Disciples welcome to \u201cspiritual refugees\u201d<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Queer folks in the US have experienced dangerous rhetoric and violence. 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