Two openly-gay pastors have used their positions to promote messages of acceptance and inclusion for the LGBTQ community in Phoenix.
Jeffrey Dirrim is an openly-gay pastor at Rebel & Divine United Church of Christ. Dirrim is an Arizona State University graduate, and said he received his Master of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion. He has been assisting churches with their Open and Affirming programs for over a decade.
Dirrim said Rebel & Divine is a “new faith community” that focuses on members of the LGBTQQIA community, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, questioning, intersex and allies.
“Rebel focuses on this community of young adults typically ages 18-24, because there isn’t a lot of places that will,” Dirrim said.
He said some of the individuals at Rebel & Divine don’t have other people to talk to, or to help them.
“There are churches all over the Valley that support young adults, but not who support this community directly,” Dirrim said.
He said Rebel is a place that teenagers and young adults can come to get a meal and talk about what they need to talk about.
“I don’t expect others to believe what I believe,” Dirrim said. “There are multiple religions within Rebel.”
Dirrim talks with the members of Rebel & Divine about a wide array of topics, from responding to family and friends to everyday life problems and sex. He said sex is a particularly popular topic because members don’t usually have other people to talk to.
“I meet them where they are at,” he said.
Rebel & Divine is not focused on saving people’s souls, but their lives, Dirrim said. He said he acts like a bridge for people who need it and connects members to those who can help them if he can’t.
“We are meeting the needs of the youth in the real world,” Dirrim said. “We started a boutique where the LGBTQQIA community can go and not feel ashamed, we also provide clothing and shoes to the ones who need it the most.”
Dirrim said Rebel & Divine meets for dinner and discussions on Sunday nights.
Rebel & Divine Member Jason Lionberger volunteers with several different charities and organizations in Phoenix, such as Pride, One-n-Ten and Aunt Rita’s Foundation. Lionberger said Pastor Jeffery is revolutionary.
“The special thing about Rebel & Divine is that you can explore religion with Pastor Jeffery, you don’t have to display it for people to judge,” he said.
Lionberger said Rebel & Divine, along with other UCC churches, is very affirming and accepting.
“The progress being made in the LGBT community is great but there is a lot of work that needs to be done,” Lionberger said.
Troy Mendez is an openly-gay Dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral on Roosevelt Street and Central Avenue. He is the Senior Pastor, and is in charge of programming and staffing in addition to being the spiritual leader of the congregation.
He said all members of the congregation can participate as much as they like, wherever they like.
“We allow people to be who they are,” Mendez said. “We want everyone to feel included and welcome.”
He said the LGBTQ community makes up about 25 percent of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral’s congregation which consists of people from a broad range of backgrounds. He said the cathedral has welcomed the LGBTQ community for more than 20 years.
Mendez said he received his education from Virginia Theological Seminary, and he was ordained in the Diocese of Los Angeles in 2009.
He said he is new to Phoenix, moving here in January 2014. So far he has noticed that there are churches that are far more conservative and far more liberal than Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, but as a whole, Phoenix is generally welcoming to the LGBTQ community within the church, he said.
Mendez said Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is a more formal church compared to Rebel & Divine. Trinity Episcopal Cathedral has a more regimented order to the lessons and worship, while Rebel & Divine is more of an informal setting, he said.
Dirrim said there are several churches around the Valley that are accepting of the LGBTQ community, but there is still progress to be made within the churches and society as a whole.
“God wants lives to be lived to the fullest,” Dirrim said. “People aren’t living full lives if they are ashamed of themselves, or hiding who they truly are.”
Contact the reporter at Sidney.Pearce@asu.edu.
