Spirituality

My parents chose to raise me without the benefit of any particular religious instruction; they are Roman Catholic and Lutheran by background. In the fifth grade my parents decided to send me to a Lutheran parochial school to receive a better elementary education than our local public school system was able to. That is where I received my first formal religious training. I was baptized at the age of 12.

[Luther Rose]

My "coming out" as a Christian did not really occur until college, however. (Interestingly, it coincided with my "coming out" as a gay man.) I became active in the local Lutheran student congregation and the Lutheran Student Movement. I have a special appreciation for liturgy and consider music to be an essential component of my spirituality. My church memberships have included Grace Lutheran (Hayward, CA), the UCSB Student Congregation (Santa Barbara, CA), the Lutheran Campus Centre (Vancouver, British Columbia), St. Paulus Lutheran (San Francisco), and currently St. Francis Lutheran (San Francisco). St. Francis was expelled from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), but nonetheless maintains close ties with the Sierra Pacific Synod of the ELCA. I also frequent St. Gregory Nyssen Episcopal (San Francisco), where my partner is music director.

[Lutherans Concerned]

I was an early and active member of Lutherans Concerned, the lesbian/gay caucus of the Lutheran churches in North America. I have served on the Executive Committee and am an honorary life member of Lutherans Concerned/North America. I'm currently president of the local chapter, Lutherans Concerned/San Francisco. Also, I'm a member of the Lutheran AIDS Network and I support the Lutheran Lesbian/Gay Ministries based in San Francisco.