WINDERMERE, Fla. – Windermere Union Church is launching a groundbreaking series aimed at bridging faith and inclusion, challenging traditional interpretations of scripture, and opening a new dialogue for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
The “LGBTQ+ + Christianity” series kicked off June 1 as part of Pride Month, inviting all to engage in honest conversations about what the Bible truly says about sexuality and sin.
The initiative is led by Pastor Brad Jagger and Daniel Ruke, co-founder of Rebel Faith, who organized the program to address a gap in thoughtful, scripture-based discussions around LGBTQ+ inclusion in Christian spaces.
“Through worship, through Sunday school, we are reexamining those scriptures used to clobber the LGBTQ community,” Jagger said. “We have quick guides, we have deep dives, and it’s all designed to educate people on a more loving, contextual understanding of these verses to provide healing instead of harm.”
Ruke explained the motivation behind the series. “I have an amazing son who’s in transition, and someone confronted me about it. I couldn’t have an intelligent conversation around it,” he said. “That’s what led me to Brad. We realized we needed to bring this word out there more.”
The effort took on new urgency after a recent service disruption, when a visitor interrupted, claiming the topic did not belong in church. “A lot of people know those verses. They just don’t sit right, but they have no intelligent reason or any reason to about it—anything historical, contextual or anything like that,” Ruke added.
To spread their message, organizers turned to Facebook, where initial posts drew a mix of support and backlash. Ruke mentioned that nearly 60% of the initial comments were all “hate.” But they did have some positive feedback about it, too
Ruke said the outreach has already made an impact. “I started getting private messages—one said, ‘I was chastised, kicked out because of my identity, out of church, home. But now I see a way back.’ That’s why I’m responding to all these people.”
Both Ruke and Jagger emphasized that Windermere Union Church is a place for everyone. “We’re planting seeds of love,” Ruke said. “Sometimes these are new seeds they’ve never seen before.”
Jagger added, “We have a loving scripture, and our loving position is to be accepting towards you, whoever you are.”
The series runs through July 20 at 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Road, Windermere, FL 34786. All are welcome, regardless of background, orientation, or faith journey.