"Lord, Let the Change Begin in Me": Loving Our LGBTQIA+ Children Paperback – January 27, 2026

Christian parents often struggle when their adult sons and daughters do not follow in their footsteps of faith and practice. When the parent is a church leader, the differences in belief and lifestyle are often evident to the congregation, and the parent is faced with the dilemma of wanting to love their child while holding to the tenets of their faith. These challenges arise in many circumstances, such as following other faiths, addiction, imprisonment, living outside the bounds of marriage, and exploring same-sex relationships.When Marla Williams was choosing a topic for her doctoral studies at Ashland Theological Seminary, she drew upon her own family narrative to explore the ways a Christian parent can establish and maintain a loving, respectful relationship with an adult child who identifies as LGBTQIA+. In these pages, she explores biblical passages about the love of God, theological concepts surrounding spiritual disciplines, and historical figures who practiced the spiritual disciplines of the examen, breath prayers, and journaling. She then considers various aspects of the LGBTQIA+ walk, including a brief explanation of coming out, and the emotional pain parents have encountered in their families. Included are the voices of two parents’ responses when their homosexual child revealed their same sex attraction, and the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community and their experiences of living with affirming vs. non-affirming parents.In response to this research, Williams created an educational and experiential retreat, surveying the participants prior to and following their sessions. Their feedback, along with her observations, support the use of the chosen spiritual practices in the reconciliation and repair of broken relationships. Presented in the format of a dissertation, these pages provide a pathway of hope for those who may be in similar circumstances, as well as an open door for further discussion within the Church. Read more