What does it actually mean for a church to be LGBTQ+ affirming — not simply welcoming, but genuinely safe, inclusive, and committed to belonging?
In this powerful episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon is joined by Reverend Liz Patz, pastor of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Elgin, Illinois, and returning guest Maya Garner for an open and deeply personal conversation about faith, LGBTQ+ identity, religious hurt, healing, scripture, and finding community.
Maya shares her experience searching for affirming churches and the additional questions she has carried as a Black LGBTQ+ woman. Reverend Liz explains why genuine affirmation requires much more than displaying a rainbow flag — and what churches in the United Church of Christ actually go through when pursuing the official Open and Affirming designation.
The conversation also tackles one of the most difficult subjects surrounding LGBTQ+ people and Christianity: scripture. Reverend Liz discusses the importance of historical and cultural context when interpreting biblical texts, and the group explores the controversy surrounding the introduction of the word “homosexual” into modern Bible translations and the documentary 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture.
As Reverend Liz and Maya remind us throughout this conversation: keep looking. Your people may be out there.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
St. Paul’s United Church of Christ — Elgin, Illinois
www.stpauluccelgin.org
St. Paul’s identifies itself as an Open and Affirming congregation and offers both in-person and online worship. (St. Paul's United Church of Christ)
Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ
https://openandaffirming.org/
Find an affirming church:
https://www.gaychurch.org/
1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture
https://www.1946themovie.com/
🎙️ PODCAST CHAPTERS
00:00 — Why Are We Talking About Faith on a Career Podcast?
01:44 — Energy Check-In With Liz & Maya
03:20 — Reverend Liz’s Journey Into Ministry
05:50 — Maya’s Personal Faith Journey
11:59 — “Is This Church Really Safe for Me?”
14:31 — What “Open and Affirming” Actually Means
19:19 — Returning to Church After Religious Hurt
24:08 — Why “Open and Affirming” Carries Responsibility
26:05 — How a Church Becomes Open and Affirming
29:28 — Why Flying a Rainbow Flag Isn’t Enough
33:27 — How to Tell Whether a Church Is Genuinely Affirming
38:07 — LGBTQ+ People, Scripture & Religious Harm
41:03 — Why Historical Context Matters When Reading the Bible
42:50 — The 1946 Translation Conversation
49:48 — What Authentic Welcome and Belonging Look Like
52:24 — How Do You Know You’ve Found the Right Church?
53:43 — LGBTQ+ Inclusion Beyond Sunday Morning
58:55 — Finding Community When You Live in a Small Town
1:01:13 — How Online Worship Has Changed Access
1:04:19 — Hope for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Faith Communities
1:07:07 — Where There Is Still Work to Do
1:09:46 — Rapid Fire With Liz & Maya 😂
1:18:58 — A Final Message for Anyone Carrying Religious Hurt
1:22:17 — Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Resources
