Our Purpose
Seventh-day Adventist Kinship Australia is a volunteer, nonprofit support organization devoted to
the spiritual, emotional, social and physical well-being of
current and former Adventists who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex and their friends and family. Kinship is not
supported by the formal Adventist church. Kinship is a confidential organization
which supports the advancement of human rights for all people.
Kinship Australia endeavours to reach out to people and let
them know that God loves everyone and that "acceptance
is unconditional". More info can be obtained by joining
Kinship Australia, on what is being done in your area.
SDA Kinship Australia is its own identity, we are Australian based and owned. SDA Kinship Australia prides itself on its own Australian representation.
We have Sisters and Brothers in SDA Kinship International Inc who do share the same common links and goals. More reading can be obtained by visiting at their web site www.sdakinship.org
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What
are Kinship Events?
Kinship's various events provide opportunities for members to meet, to renew friendships and to enjoy activities, music, worship, entertainment and good food. It's these times together that members repeatedly say is most valuable and meaningful to them-from meeting those who share similar Adventist backgrounds to hearing from supportive pastors striving to bring about change within the church.
Please see our events to learn more about upcoming Kinship meetings.
About SDA Kinship
Like other conservative Christian churches, the SDA Church
believes that homosexuality is immoral. This creates a conflict
for gay SDAs, says Kinship, whose members often feel hurt
and betrayed by their church's rejection yet value the SDA
beliefs and their history with the church.
Because of their church's stance, Kinship has a long road
ahead in helping it better understand its gay members and
the scientific and theological issues surrounding homosexuality.
Kinship provides a safe and supportive space for members who
need us for various reasons. We have members who are very
interested in creating change within our church and others
who feel too hurt by their church's rejection to remain very
connected. |
Noel - Australian Co-ordinator |
Today, Kinship Australia has members in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Kinship Australia has had a presence since 1981. Kinship members are primarily Seventh-day Adventists who happen to be lesbian, gay men, bisexual or transgender, including many who were asked to leave the church or left because they felt condemned and unwelcome. (Note: The abbreviation LGBTI is often used to reference the community of lesbian, gay men, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. The word gay is also often used alone to reference this group of people.)
Kinship Australia's membership also includes heterosexual Seventh-day Adventists, parents of gays, and others who are sympathetic to our concerns. We endeavour to be inclusive whenever possible. We are a naturally diverse group with a wide range of Christian experiences, self-acceptance and expression.
Kinship's message is different from traditional church view. Together with a growing number of Adventist pastors, teachers and other church members, we believe gay Christians are wholly loved and accepted by our Creator. This is not a message of mere convenience. It is a message well studied and consistent with scripture.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church was founded in 1844 in New
Hampshire and officially organized as a Christian Protestant
denomination in 1863. It chose the name "Seventh-day"
because of its belief in the biblical Sabbath being on Saturday
and the word "Adventist" to denote belief in the
return of Jesus Christ. Overseen by a General Conference in
Silver Springs, M.D., it now has 12.9 million members worldwide,
including 1 million members in North America, and more than
53,000 churches. Its Web site is located at www.adventist.org.
Relevant Resources
The Chaplaincy Program
The Kinship chaplain will work with Kinship members to provide loving, caring, non-judgmental and unconditional spiritual and emotional support, to promote healing and spiritual reconciliation for LGBTIQ members who may have been harmed by organized religion.
Contact chaplaincy@sdakinshipaustralia.org Anything discussed is strictly confidential.
Someone To Talk To
A Support Organization for parents of Gay/Lesbian Adventists. Someone to talk to; Carrol Grady (aka Kate Mclaughlin. My Son, Beloved Stranger), Coordinator www.someone-to-talk-to.net .
The purpose of this ministry is for Adventist families and friends of gays and lesbians:
- to provide a listening ear for parents who desperately need a "safe" person to talk to,
- to help parents work through their initial emotions of shock, anger, shame, grief and pain,
- to enable parents to get past focusing on their own suffering so they can begin to understand their children's situations and the confusion and rejection they have experienced much of their lives,
- to encourage parents to demonstrate God's unconditional love to their children, and
- to provide information and resources in the hope that they will help our church to move beyond ignorance and prejudice and to reach out with true compassion and understanding to those who so often have not been treated the way Jesus modeled.
Relevant Books
& DVD's
Christianity and Homosexuality:
Some Seventh-day Adventist Perspectives. |
 This book is already receiving outstanding notice by thought leaders including Harry Knox, Director, Religion and Faith Program of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation USA: “I learned so much from this book. It is wonderful to have a resource to recommend to my Seventh-day Adventist friends that is so closely tied to Adventism’s rich heritage, traditions and unique witness. It has challenged and deepened my own understandings of the Gospel and homosexuality, and will do so for Christians from other traditions.”
Tony and Peggy Campolo, authors and lecturers, commented: “For Christians of all denominations who struggle to understand those children of God who happen not to be straight, this book will be of great help. It’s survey of the history and theologies that have impacted Adventism, the insights of medical practitioners and social workers, and the true stories of real families will broaden the perspectives of even those who disagree with some of it’s conclusions.”
This book has been two years in the making and is a collaboration between the Adventist Forum and SDA Kinship International. For more information go to www.sdagayperspectives.com
We now have a limited number of books available in Australia for sale.
Price for this book is $35 including postage. |
My Son, Beloved Stranger
by Carrol Grady |
This excellent book has been reprinted with an added epilog.
This is a great book to have in your library and to have extra copies to give to parents, pastors, friends and anyone else who deals with having a loved one come out to them. |
| Open Heart, Open Hand (Video/DVD) |
Three conversations about homosexuality and the family - a life and death matter. Introduced by Dr. David Larson, a professor with the Faculty of Religion at Loma Linda University, this new resource features interviews with Adventist parents of gay and lesbian people: Dr. Walt and the(late)Virginia Cason (physician/daughter of Elder H.M.S. Richards), Dr. George P. Babcock (educator) and Mrs. Carrol Grady (minister's wife).
These are a must have resource for both GLBTI people and Parents that are Adventists and have a gay child, or who have an interest in this topic.
To order go to www.sdagayperspectives.com |
| Homosexuality and Christian Faith |
Questions of Conscience for the Churches.
Edited by Walter Wink.
www.augsburgfortress.org
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| P-flag Australia |
For parents and friends of GLBTI people. DVD. Bouncing Castle
Keeping Familes together.
Made by P-Flag in Sydney. What a feel Good DVD
Contact P-Flag in your State for details. |
| God and Gays - The Movie |
This movie is a great tool for information and enlighting on coming out, God and the Bible.
The sharing of peoples stories, gay spirituality were enlighting. It was funny and it was sad, it was everyone’s story and yet each was a unique story. And each story in some ways spoke to our own hearts of our struggle and the promise of victory in Christ.
Quotes:
"Come out, come out wherever you are!” - Rev. Dr. Mel White in reference to ALL folks – coming out to who we are, who God made us to be.
“The closet is often put forth as an answer by people who can’t be in one themselves.” - Rev. Deborah L. Johnson
www.godandgaysthemovie.com |
Fish Out of Water (DVD)
By Ky Dickens |
What does the Bible really say about being Gay?
www.fishoutofwaterfilm.com
www.firstrunfeatures.com
Dan Karslake Director of, For the Bible Tells Me So.
"I loved this film! Its a must-see for everyone."
This DVD explains the gotcher texts (clobber texts) of the Bible used against Gay people. |
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