Palmer Publishing Co., 1995, 221 pages

Review by Hope Farber

Howard H. Bess, a semi-retired Baptist minister, married with children, describes himself as a somewhat conservative Christian. His work was inspired by personal experiences, the initial one a meeting with a gay member of his southern California church when he was confronted for the first time in his life with the issue of homosexuality. Thus began the author’s interest in the subject, which has included not just research, but coming to know many gays and lesbians, mostly church-related Christians. As a result, he has devoted his life to challenging Christian churches to accept and minister to this group.

In his Introduction, Bess expresses the hope that "those who read this book will set aside liberal and

 conservative biases and simply hear the story and listen to the issues that are presented." And what a skillful job he does in presenting those issues! He touches on subjects developed in more detail later, for example, that "[t]here is no such thing as ‘the gay community. . . .’ Gays and lesbians are every bit as diverse as the general population. . . . [T]here is no such thing as ‘the gay lifestyle.’" He goes on to explain the why of this book: "[T]he point is to introduce the reader to this population that has for so long been condemned, ignored, or misunderstood by most everyone and especially Christian churches."

The book is divided into two parts. Part I, "Personal Journey," describes his own growth in understanding and subsequent passion for justice. It is a gripping account and one that leads naturally into Part II, "Homosexuals, the Church, and Ministry." This part comprises the major part of the book, and includes eleven chapters, ranging from one dealing with the Biblical passages often used to discredit homosexuality, to one of short biographies of Christian gays and lesbians he has encountered. Bess stresses the need for church people to come to know homosexuals as individuals; it is much easier to condemn an amorphous group of which our understanding is not only limited, but seriously flawed.

Pastor, I Am Gay is full of facts about homosexuality and society’s treatment of them, notably the Christian church’s refection of them. Bess believes that Christian churches will gain from their accepting gays and lesbians into fellowship and he dedicates his book to "every gay and lesbian person who has allowed me the privilege of being part of their lives."

Though published some years ago, this book is still timely and should be in the hands of every pastor and in the libraries of all congregations.

Hope Farber resides in Richmond, Indiana, where she is a member of Clear Creek Friends Meeting. She is a former member of the city’s Human Rights Commission.