Pastor of 2,100-member church resigns, admits relations with men

[Jack]

Summit Daily News

The founding pastor of the 2,100-member Grace Chapel has resigned after he said he had sexual relations with other men. Paul Barnes, who led the church for 28 years, told his congregation Sunday in a videotaped message that church leaders allowed The Denver Post to view. He and his wife have two adult daughters. “While we cannot condone what he has done, we continue to support and love Paul,” associate pastor Dave Palmer said in a written statement. Palmer told The Denver Post that the church got an anonymous call last week from a person who overheard a conversation in which someone mentioned “blowing the whistle” on evangelical preachers engaged in homosexuality, including Barnes. Palmer told the newspaper he met with Barnes, who confessed. A board of elders held an emergency meeting Thursday and accepted Barnes’ resignation. “I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year-old boy,” Barnes, 54, said in the videotaped message. “... I can’t tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away.” He described struggling with what he believes is the biblical teaching that homosexuality is an abomination.

Somehow I doubt Barnes would support the notion that being gay is a lifestyle choice. I don't recall even knowing what a lifestyle was until I was much older.

[PatrickHenry]

Makes ya wonder doesn't it, Isherwood?

Barnes is obviously tormented by being gay. Shouldn't he avoid a high-profile job in Christian ministry that doesn't allow for that kind of thing? I mean, why make yourself a target?

He could have easily just been another guy in the congregation...But he had to be a closet gay pastor...

[tinybear]

And he married and had kids too. What's this guy thinking?

[RickSp]

The real pity is that Barnes couldn't accept who he is. That is not always easy for anyone, but must be hell when his religion condemned that part of him which he couldn't change.

An interesting article in this morning's NY Times:

Gay and Evangelical, Seeking Paths of Acceptance

[rcne]

Nice article RickSp, I've often wondered how the abominations (evangelical label) rationalized their faith in a non-hypocritical way.

Forming the self-help groups for gays Evangelicals outside the church seems like a lot of work. Why can't they form their own religion? Freedom of religion, means that anyone can create their own religion, and it seems as if there are quite a few in organized Religions now that would better fit into this new sect.

Being a hypocrite surly can't be the way to salvation.

[Chancellor]

Quote by: Isherwood Summit Daily News Somehow I doubt Barnes would support the notion that being gay is a lifestyle choice. I don't recall even knowing what a lifestyle was until I was much older.

That depends. If one is defining "lifestyle" as a manner of living (which is what it is) and synonymous with "culture," then for some people there is an element of homosexuality that is a "lifestyle choice," e.g. choosing to live a lifestyle in which one's homosexual "identity" plays a prominent role and that informs one's choices in such things as one's entertainment choices, how one decorates one's living space, etc. I once saw an ad in The Washington Blade urging gays to stand up for protecting something or other in DuPont Circle. Emblazoned on the ad were the words "It's Your Lifestyle!"

Of course, I think Barnes would recognize that he didn't choose to be attracted to other males. He did, however, choose to act on it.

[RickSp]

Quote by: Chancellor Of course, I think Barnes would recognize that he didn't choose to be attracted to other males. He did, however, choose to act on it.

A bit like saying that Barnes would recognize that he didn't choose to be attracted to breathing. He did, however, choose to inhale.

Claiming that one should deny who one is, presumably denying one's God given identity, in order to conform to a particular dogma, doesn't make any sense to me.