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| BISHOP ALLYSON D. NELSON ABRAMS |
In October, Abrams said that although no one pressured her into leaving her post at Zion Progress Baptist Church, she felt it was in the best interested of the congregation to move on.
”I could have been like so many people and lied and said it’s not true,” Abrams, 43, told NewsOne in October. “But that’s not how I was raised, and as a Christian, I was always taught to be a truthful individual. So when it came up I said, ‘OK. I need to be honest with my congregation and tell them the truth about what was a great event for me.”’
Reactions to her marriage announcement were mixed, with many supporting Abrams and just as many denouncing her ideology that people who are homosexual have a place in the church, let alone as leader of a pulpit.
She was disappointed to leave a congregation she had led for five years, but Abrams realized that it would have been problematic for her to be openly gay and lead a ministry in a city where conservative theology reigns supreme.
So after entertaining a few opportunities around the country, she settled on Maryland, where same-sex marriage is legal and is in close proximity to Washington, D.C., where same-sex unions are also protected under the law.
Her ministry, Empowerment Liberation Cathedral, is set to begin in May and will welcome people from all walks of life — regardless of their sexual orientation. In fact, Abrams doesn’t want to be defined by her sexuality, but she appreciates how powerful her presence can be in a region where she says many in the LGBT community have been shamed out of the church.
“You can’t be ashamed of who you are,” Abrams told the media recently. “It’s time out for shaming people and making people feel like they are not loved and that God is not pleased with them.”
The leadership at the Episcopal Anglican Church of the Ascension, also in Silver Spring, has allowed her to use their space until she finds a permanent home. The church’s pastor, Rev. Dr. Joan Beilstein, says that she was very impressed during her first meeting with Abrams and her wife, Diana Williams.
“We found [Abrams] and her spouse to be inspiring, passionate about serving God, passionate about being an inclusive church that particularly welcomes LGBT persons,” Beilstein said. “We were inspired by them and their sense of call to reach out, especially in the Silver Spring area.”
Empowerment Liberation Cathedral
Rev. Charles G. Adams is pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, one of the most prominent churches in Detroit. A close friend of Abrams, Adams told local media that the conversation over how churches interpret biblical text regarding homosexuality is a complex one. He expressed regret that Abrams felt she had to leave the city and that too many people focused on her sexuality rather than what she could offer the church.
During some of her services leading up to her church’s grand opening next month, Abrams even encourages members to take selfies and post them to Instagram. “We don’t want people to shut down their cellphones,” she said. “We want to make use of them. People will be on them anyway, so why not use them for the church?”
And for those who bemoan long-winded sermons, Abrams promises that she’ll be succinct with the Good Word and finish in enough time for people to go home in time for the game.”We’ll have hour-long service every Sunday,” she said. “We don’t need to stay in church all day. You can praise God and get out in an hour.”
Abrams told Gazette.net that she will also initiate projects to help seniors in the community and bring awareness to HIV testing.
Most importantly, she wants her ministry to be a safe space where everyone will feel good in their own skin praising God.
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