A Pastoral Reflection on Pride Month

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

How should a local pastor think about Pride Month? The gay agenda is an issue, but it is not the only issue. The church needs to speak into the issue of our day, yet not be marked by only one issue. It’s a difficult tension a pastor must walk.

In June, rainbow flags flew on the Main Streets of typically conservative towns. Sections of clothing stores were set apart to purchase apparel and water bottles declaring affirmation for the gay community. Social media was filled with testimonials declaring, “I once was lost, but now am found.” 

Pride Month has become the advent season for the religion of LGBT+. June is a season filled with gay religious symbols and testimonies of deliverance. The advocates spoke (preached) with religious fervor to further the cause of their new-found religion. The messages were filled with promises of hope, as well as warnings of judgement for those who do not accept.

June is daunting for all Christians; especially for pastors. There is no other month quiet like it. For one month a clear violation of God’s word is pressed in front of us 24/7. 

Be Brave without Bravado

There is a type of pastor that mistakes bravado for godliness. He glories in being offensive. The more people are offended, the better. This kind of pastor portrays himself as a modern-day martyr, the true heir of John the Baptist, in the wilderness by himself declaring what no other pastor is willing to say. 

For pastors with this kind of bravado, Pride Month provides plenty of ammunition to shoot from the cuff each Sunday. Stories about how ignorant the libs are, or how Sodom and Gomorrah has been reincarnated in U.S. cities, as he pokes fun at the cultural elites.

To be sure, this pastoral approach will get a quick rise from congregants. They will get fired up—but it’s cheap preaching. It sounds more like a cable news rant than exploring the depths of the Triune God revealed in Scripture. Gospel preaching should sound different than a Joe Rogan podcast.

Speak the truth in love

Pastor, be brave, but do not be sucked into pastoral bravado. Yes, without a doubt, we ought not be ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16), or of anything that God has spoken to us in his inerrant word (2 Timothy 3:16). We should be brave to make clear statements that homosexual identity and practice is sinful (Romans 1:26-27). We should be brave to declare that God has designed only two genders (Genesis 1:27). These two genders are different, yet equally needed. This difference by design is what comprises God’s image, therefore no one should reassign what God has already assigned. 

To make these sorts of statements publicly will take some bravery, since this is not the opinion of broader culture. Pastor, be brave. Be very brave and say what needs to be said, knowing there will be some backlash. 

But do not aim for backlash. Don’t be offensive for the sake of being offensive. The goal is always to win people to the truth, not shame them for their ignorance. Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Pastoral bravery is not shallow bravado. Aim for the former.  

Be Principled, not Panicked

Every generation in the church has an issue that God entrusts to the church. In 325 AD, the church needed to defend orthodox Christology as she dealt with the heresy of Arianism. During the Reformation, the church needed to stay true to the doctrine of justification by faith alone in light of Catholic sacramentalism. The issue of our day, sexuality, is far less exciting. The issue of our day concerns anthropology and sin in light of the growing LGBT+ movement. 

During Pride Month, a pastor can quickly feel defeated. So much sin is out in the world. More concerning, some of the world is even in the church (perhaps even in my church!). A pastor can quickly panic, but a panicked pastor will not have lead his people well through the month.

During Pride, the church must be principled, not panicked. Principled pastors stay level-headed; not overly reactive. The danger here is that pastors panic and morph into cultural warriors that make sexuality the only issue before the church.

Preach knowing God is sovereign

A panicked pastor can preach with a tone that gives the impression that God is no longer sovereign—that perhaps God slipped off his throne, hence the reason for such widespread perversion. Is Western culture perverse? Of course. So was Rome! Perhaps even more so. We are not the first generation of Christians to be confronted with these issues.

When necessary, Paul principally took issues of sexual perversion head on. But he did not make sexual clarity the only issue in his ministry. In light of cultural rot, Paul principally teaches the full council of God.

Even during the month of June, the average Christian in your pews still needs to hear regular “bread and butter” sermons. Christians need to hear of Christ on the cross and the assurance of pardon He provides. The church will need to be reminded of the hope of eternity and the indwelling of the Spirit. In your pews there will be cancer patients, skeptics, and those filled with guilt over sin. These people need the gospel, not another cultural warrior. Be principled, not panicked.

Press On

Fellow pastors, June is a discouraging month. There is no other month that is named for blatant disregard of God’s righteous standards. Considering the amount of corporate money and celebrity influence that backs the movement, Pride month can be especially maddening. Yet, for whatever discouragement we felt during the onslaught of June, I suspect it is nothing compared to the feelings of the disciples on the first Good Friday. If ever there was time to panic, it was then, at the foot of the cross, when it seemed as though the unrighteous had won as Jesus died. 

Yet, that dark day was truly a bright day, for that day was the inauguration of Christ’s eternal reign. There was no lasting defeat on the cross, only victory. God was reigning. 

If God was reigning on Good Friday then he is surely reigning in June. Yes, the flags came out in full force. Of course, the church was shamed as backwater bigots. And certainly, your local clothing store blindly followed the cultural narrative. 

Don’t panic. God is still reigning. Be brave. Speak clearly on what God has made clear. If the gospel is offensive, so be it. But make sure it is the gospel that offends, not you. June was a maddening month, but in light of eternity, it is still…. just a month. Minister accordingly. 

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