West Hollywood Presbyterian Church

Biography/Administrative History

Author and activist, Chris Glaser has published twelve books, including Uncommon Calling, Coming Out to God, and Coming Out as Sacrament, and As My Own Soul: The Blessing of Same-Gender Marriage. His most recent book is The Final Deadline: What Death Has Taught Me About Life. Chris is a frequent speaker and retreat leader across denominational boundaries throughout North America on issues ranging from sexuality to spirituality. He served as the only openly gay member of the Presbyterian Task Force to Study Homosexuality (1976-78), the majority of which voted to recommend the ordination of lesbian and gay people; that recommendation was rejected by the Presbyterian General Assembly. After graduation from Yale Divinity School in 1977, he served as director of a first-of-its-kind ministry of reconciliation between the church and the LGBT community, The Lazarus Project, located at the West Hollywood Presbyterian Church. He has worked for almost forty years to affect Presbyterian policy regarding the welcome and ordination of openly gay and lesbian ministers. He also works for full inclusion of bisexual and transgender people in the church. In recent years he has served as Spiritual Leader of the interfaith Midtown Spiritual Community in Atlanta; interim pastor of Christ Covenant MCC in Decatur, Georgia; interim pastor of MCC San Francisco; and as interim/transitional pastor of Virginia Highland Church, a Baptist and UCC congregation in Atlanta. (Adapted from The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry)

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