Locating the face of God: practical theological reflections on LGBTIQ people and churches

This essay, which adopts a practical theological tone, aims to locate the voice of God in spaces that are conventionally disassociated with ‘proper’ and ‘valid’ spirituality, namely in the thoughts, voices, wisdom, insights and lived experiences of people do not conform to normative socio-cultural and religious prescriptions of gender and sexuality, namely lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and other queer (LGBTIQ) people. We believe that the time has come for churches to locate the face of God in unconventional and unfamiliar spaces. As theologians, activists and colleagues from the United States and Malaysia, our collaboration in this essay hopes to inspire deeper considerations and rethinkings of the role and presence of LGBTIQ Christians in church and society. To this end, we turn our attention to impasses in churches that preclude an unconditional embrace of LGBTIQ people.