Your Love or Your Job.

"Put your money where your mouth is." This means storytelling to me. Storytelling to make a difference.

Joyce Arnold is editor of Church Street Freedom Press. and she's used to creating change with words. Still, this is the first time since her 1995 removal as an ELCA pastor that she's gathered her story into an essay. Thank you Joyce.

Pastor Joyce Arnold was removed by the same bishop who has currently charged Pastor Bradley Schmeling for pastoring while gay. She offers this essay in recognition of the hundreds like herself who have lost jobs because of being LGBT, and in hopes of helping Pastor Bradley Schmeling and others whose pastoral positions are endangered by current rules against gay pastors.

If you copy this website url into an email, your friends, churchmembers, and others can click and read the story of Pastor Joyce Arnold.

http://www.straightintogayamerica.com/visionsandexpectations

Stories change the world. Thank you to Pastor Arnold for sharing "Your Love or Your Job." Thanks to each of you who helps bring her story into circulation.

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Pastor Joyce Arnold: “Your Love or Your Job.”
Ordained: 1987: Expelled: 1995
In recognition of her excellent skills as a pastor, Joyce Arnold, received a request in 1994 from newly elected Bishop Ron Warren. “Will you serve as my assistant?”
For years Pastor Arnold had been serving as a “selectively out”, celibate, lesbian pastor. Having newly fallen in love with her partner, Pastor Arnold knew she would tell Bishop Warren of her partnership. The reaction was swift; no conversation, just an ultimatum, “either resign or be removed from the roster.”
As Pastor Arnold writes, “Now I knew what it felt like to be cast out.”
Read the PDF Essay