A recent 'scoring' of America's 100 largest churches has found that none are 'LGBTQ+ affirming'. The research from ChurchClarity.org also reported that the leadership of these churches is 93 per cent white, while only one has a female pastor.
Church Clarity is a controversial online database that aims to inform discerning church-goers on a given church's policies relating to LGBTQ+ persons, with churches scored on how well they communicate their stance ('clear'/'unclear'), and classed as 'affirming' (of same-sex relationships) or 'non-affirming'. It covers other elements of church organisation, including stances on women in leadership, though its focus is initially 'on policies that directly impact LGBTQ+ people'. 'No person should have to wonder the limits of their "welcome",' the group says on its website.
Published at the close of 2017, as RNS previously reported, the findings come as part of Church Clarity's study of America's 100 largest churches, as listed in the evangelical publication Outreach Magazine.
Church Clarity underlined its most significant findings: none of the 100 churches had 'affirming LGBTQ+ policies' while only 35 per cent of the churches were rated as 'clear' in the communication of their stance.
The organisation said that 54 per cent of surveyed church websites 'obscure policy language', while 11 per cent 'entirely omit' their conservative stances on LGBTQ+ policies.
Its research covered the race and gender of megachurch leadership too, finding that 93 per cent of US church leadership is white, and seven per cent people of colour. It noted that people of colour represent 38 per cent of the US population.
Only one of the churches it studied was led by a female pastor, who it observed shares leadership with her husband.
Church Clarity later added to its site the story of Nathanial Totten, a worship leader who related his experience of being ejected from his position of church leadership after he came out as gay.
'"Come as you are" is short for "come as you are so we can show you the error in your ways"', he wrote.
'Without any clarified standard on LGBTQ+ inclusion, people will continue to be hurt, pushed out, and riddled with trauma. For the sake of these lives, clarity is reasonable.'
Church Clarity's project of 'scoring' churches spurred polarising responses when it launched in October 2017. Christian Today's David Bennett said it 'deeply concerned' him as a gay, celibate Christian, suggesting that the sharp categorising of churches was a form of 'church control' on an issue that demands nuance.
Church Clarity's founder, Tim Schraeder, told RNS that the organisation's aim was to inform and equip: 'Part of the reason we chose to release this now is because the New Year is a time when people decide to reengage with religion by attending church. As people of faith commit to new resolutions, we wanted to set them up for success by helping them make the most informed decision.'
