The rituals of the high church resonate with Anders Nolan, who regards the procession, the choir and kneeling side-by-side at the altar rail as integral elements of his faith.
But nothing holds more value than the Eucharist for Nolan, who serves as acolyte master and on the vestry at Christ & St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Norfolk. Nolan, who is transgender, appreciates that his church will host a Gay Pride Eucharist to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Episcopal diocese’s formal affirmation of the LGBTQIA+ community.
All are welcome for the Eucharist at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Ghent church. Bishop Susan B. Haynes will preside. The special service represents the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, comprised of 101 parishes.
“To have a Pride Eucharist and specifically say it’s in celebration of LGBTQIA+ people in the church in spiritual communion with one another is very powerful,” Nolan said. “We all approach the rail together and kneel together and drink from the common cup together.”
Parishioner Mitchell Frizzell, who is gay, is heartened to be part of a safe space that recognizes the importance of inclusion.
“Fifty years ago, the Episcopal Church formally made a statement that queer people are worthy of love, dignity and respect,” Frizzell said. “I love that we’re able to celebrate that here and include the wider community.”
Parishioner Barb Kersey isn't gay, nor is any member of her family. The Portsmouth resident, who will attend the service with her husband and adult son, is grateful for finding a church that “is clearly open and welcoming of diversity and not just tolerant of it.”
The parish has about 400 members attending on an average Sunday. The church doesn't track sexual orientation, said Matt Davis, communications director, but Davis estimates that roughly 15% of the congregation is LGBTQIA+.
A legacy of inclusion
Outside of the church, which is distinguished by a stunning pinnacle bell tower, is a sign: “Welcome Home. YOU BELONG.”
Security patrols in front during services, and doors are locked shortly after they begin.
In 1976, the governing body of the Episcopal Church passed a monumental resolution stating, “Homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church.”
The decision laid the groundwork for the ordination of gay and lesbian priests in 1994, the consecration of the first openly gay bishop in 2003 and the official approval of gender-neutral and same-sex marriage ceremonies in 2015.
Christ & St. Luke’s Church, built in 1909-10, traces its ancestry to the Elizabeth River Parish established in 1637. During the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, the church became a powerhouse of advocacy and supported sick patients with home-cooked meals and fellowship.
Today’s leadership strives to bring families of various social, racial and religious backgrounds together for everything from a needlepoint guild to environmental stewardship to a queer theology discussion group. Last spring, a Pride potluck was well attended.
Kersey is a regular in the discussion group that meets monthly.
“It’s just so inspiring to sit in a group of mostly queer people who are very dedicated to interpreting the gospel and learning from it and growing.”
Holding a Gay Pride Eucharist is another extension of offering community, said the Rev. Noah Van Niel, rector of Christ & St. Luke’s. A smattering of online negative commentary hasn’t been a deterrent, he added, noting that security will be increased on Wednesday night.
“Not every person, let alone every Christian, believes that this is something the church should be doing,” Van Niel said. “That has not put us off. In some ways, we want to show a little more, to be a little more courageous, to be a little louder with our love.”
Wednesday’s date had been scheduled several years in advance, as the Episcopalian church continues to encourage diversity, said Haynes, the first female bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia.
The teachings of the Episcopal Church stress the widening of God’s circle of love, which isn’t exclusionary, Haynes said. Yet the struggle to balance historical tradition with evolving societal norms remains challenging.
“Human beings need to feel like they belong, and the only way they know how to do that is to have people that don’t belong,” Haynes said. “I don’t think God intends for some people to be ‘in’ and some people to be ‘out.’ He created them all, so he wants them all.”
A science teacher at King’s Fork High School, Dwight Bucholz used to pastor a smaller church in the region that was less welcoming. He found Christ & St. Luke’s in 2019. Three of his four children are queer, and after listening to his first homily there, “I felt like God was speaking directly to me.”
Bucholz is supportive of his church hosting a Pride Eucharist.
“It’s a celebration of the history,” he said. “If the church that was the primary buttress of colonialism can eventually grow to become fully accepting and affirming of queer life at a time when our country remains so staunchly entrenched against that and easily mobilized to violence against it, it’s hope. It gives me hope.”
Visit Christ & St. Luke’s Episcopal Church for more information.