Abstract “Open and affirming” connotes ministry that is fully inclusive of LGBTQIA+ persons. As a participant-observer, the author employed narrative theory to learn how members of a congregation recently committed to this ministry understood their faith in relation to the queer experiences of their sisters and brothers in Christ. This article offers a descriptive and interpretative account of their theological understanding of open and affirming ministry. Prior commitments—trust, respect for differences of opinion, and ongoing theological learning—created openness to the surprising work of the Holy Spirit. This research identifies radically inclusive love as a charism enabling this congregation to overcome not only LGBTQIA+ exclusion but also to address many other human-created barriers to loving God and neighbor.

中文翻译：

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魅力学习：在卫理公会会众中公开和肯定的事工

摘要 “开放和肯定”意味着事工完全包括 LGBTQIA+ 人士。作为一名参与者-观察者，作者运用叙事理论来了解最近委身于该事工的会众成员如何理解他们的信仰与他们在基督里的兄弟姐妹的奇怪经历有关。本文提供了他们对开放和肯定事工的神学理解的描述性和解释性说明。先前的承诺——信任、尊重不同意见，以及持续的神学学习——让人们对圣灵令人惊讶的工作持开放态度。这项研究将彻底包容的爱确定为一种神恩，使该会众不仅能够克服 LGBTQIA+ 排斥，而且还能解决许多其他人为的爱上帝和爱邻居的障碍。