Jennifer Knapp shocked the Christian community when she revealed she was a lesbian and had been in a relationship with a woman for the last eight years.

Her admission was made back in 2010 as she returned to the music scene following a long hiatus after the release of The Way I Am in 2001.

Up until her break, she had become a favourite on the Christian music scene and sold over a million albums.

When she returned to the public eye, it was with a bang, simultaneously releasing three interviews in which she revealed her sexuality - one in in LGBT publication The Advocate, another in the Reuters news agency, and another in the US magazine Christianity Today.

Four years, on she says she still has the "same drive" to live for her partner.

"It's not about sex or gender, it's about complete utter compassion for another human being," she told RNS.

"At the beginning, when your hormones are flying, you think it won't last. And everyone told me that one day we'd be old codgers who hate one another and want to get a divorce. Much to my amazement, I still have that same drive. It's my partner for me and me for my partner.

"And having understood love and patience and vulnerability has opened me up to the world and a greater understanding of the Gospel."

She also shared her thoughts on abstinence, saying that while it was a "very noble virtue" and something she had practised for a decade, she added that she did not think there were "hard and fast lines" on the issue.  

Similarly, she said she "appreciate[s]" LGBT Christians who've chosen to remain celibate as a result of their faith convictions. 

"I haven't chosen that for myself, but I have to value that story and journey," she said. 

"I happen to be on the side that believes that the covenant we have with a lover or friend is a standard that isn't based on gender or sexual orientation."

Since coming out, Knapp has become an advocate for LGBT issues in the church and her interview with RNS coincides with the publication of her new memoir, "Facing the Music: My Story", and a new folk album, "Set Me Free".

And while she still seems to appreciate God and faith, when RNS asked whether she and her girlfriend attend church together, she had just one word to say on the matter: "No." 

Read the interview in full here