![\"Reverend](\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.towleroad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Reverend-Kevin-Johnson.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nFirst United Methodist Church in Kenosha will offer the apology to Reverend Kevin Johnson this coming weekend during its Weekend of Reconciliation.<\/span><\/p>\n A\u00a0private conversation with a church member who questioned his sexuality was made public, which triggered the backlash against him.<\/p>\n It is thought to be the first time a United Methodist Church has reconciled publicly with a former pastor following the 1972 decree that \u201cthe practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Now living in Palm Springs, California, Johnson told the <\/a><\/span>Desert Sun<\/b><\/a><\/em>:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMore years have passed since my dismissal than my age when I first entered the church\u2019s doors.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTheir 1981 rejection devastated my career dreams. I had to build a new life in the business world.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor years, it was very difficult for me to be a part of a church organization. It was very difficult for the first decade after. I barely went to church at all. I had lost all confidence in human beings who claimed to be loving persons in the Christian church.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He added that while the rejection by the church separated him from his profession for 20 years, was never separated from his faith. He has since co-founded Bloom in the Desert Ministries, \u201ca safe space and sanctuary for anyone experiencing spiritual abuse and religious discrimination related to gender identity, sexual orientation or ethnic heritage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n First United Reverend Justin Elliott Lowe said<\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think the whole idea of sexuality in the Bible and what kind of gets explained as the \u2018Christian\u2019 understanding of sexuality isn\u2019t quite accurate and isn\u2019t quite theologically grounded.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPeople just say \u2018[homosexuality] is in the Bible; here\u2019s what it says,\u2019 when there are so many layers and things are misinterpreted between Greek and Hebrew to English.<\/span><\/p>\n You can be a Christian and be gay<\/a> \u2014 and practice your sexuality.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jessica DeBoer, a member of the church\u2019s Reconciling Committee, said First United has made a commitment to welcome everyone as equals.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very exciting,\u201d DeBoer said. \u201cI think as more people know about it, it will help bring people in. It\u2019s really important that we welcome everybody.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is absolutely a huge part of our past as a church family,\u201d she added. \u201cIt was the elephant in the room, especially now that we have openly become this accepting congregation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Watch Johnson\u2019s January 29 message to his congregation below.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The post Methodist Minister Outed and Ousted for Being Gay 35 Years Ago to Receive Public Apology: VIDEO<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a>A Methodist church in Wisconsin is set to publicly apologize to a reverend who in 1981 was forced to leave after being outed by a member of the congregation.<\/span><\/p>\nRELATED:\u00a0Over 100 United Methodist Clergy Come Out As Gay To Protest Ban On \u2018Practicing Homosexual\u2019 Pastors: VIDEO<\/a><\/h2>\n