This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “healing” and “repair.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published bimonthly.
Unfortunately, I grew up in the traditional Black churches that teach that LGBTQ+ people will burn in hell because of their “sinful desires.” This tormented me all my life because I knew I was not choosing to feel the way I did about girls/women; it was simply who I was. I was constantly teased in school and by society for being “gay,” so I only wished that I could find love and acceptance at church. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
I only wished that I could find love and acceptance at church. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
It was not until my first year in seminary that I began to hear that God loves me just the way I am. Though it took me a few semesters to even entertain the thought of what I initially believed to be false teachings. Eventually I began to study the Scriptures for myself, seeking the truth and looking for healing. I sought out Scripture that supported what the seminary taught. Words from God that would assist me in repairing the damage the church had caused. I was overwhelmed by what I discovered in Scripture. The words were life-giving and unbelievable. I had never heard about Scriptures like Ezekiel 16:49–50 that clearly explain why God actually destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. And it was not the reason I thought. All my life I’ve been told they were destroyed because of “homosexuals.”
Though I cried for weeks upon learning the truth of this and other Scriptures, my healing had begun.
The Rev. Dr. Dionne Boyice leads a Fellowship Friday Gathering for WHOSOEVER.
I had wasted so much of my life living to please the church, the people and my family. Yet, I was not so caught up in these lies that I didn’t desire to change my thought process and live a freer life. Not only did I want to repair my mindset, but I also wanted others to know that they too can be spiritually healed.
Therefore, in 2017, I planted a ministry that welcomes all people to spiritually heal from church hurt, spiritual abuse, religious trauma and moral injury. I named the ministry WHOSOEVER: Community Of FAITH, with FAITH being an acronym for Finding Answers In The Healing. I wanted people, especially the LGBTQ+ community of color, to know that God loves and accepts us all, and that healing and repair are possible. As pastor and teacher, I teach God’s all-inclusive love and encourage those who have a story to tell to share it.
I also started a Facebook group that hosts over 1,200 members from around the globe and is inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, our allies and beyond.
Members participate in a WHOSOEVER Sunday Service event. Photo by Dionne Boyice
We not only hold virtual worship, but we also meet in person and partake in community service events collaborating with many other marginalized communities. We participate in educational panel discussions, PRIDE and PFLAG events, and other mainstream organizational happenings such as Free Hot Soup and Kansas City, Kansas, Public School forums.
Founded on John 3:16, WHOSOEVER remains true to Christ’s salvation for just that: whosoever. Our tagline sums it up: “God Did Not Create You to Hate You! God created you to love, to live and to live out loud: WHOSOEVER you are!”
“God Did Not Create You to Hate You! God created you to love, to live and to live out loud: WHOSOEVER you are!”
The Rev. Dr. Dionne Boyice is the founder and pastor of WHOSOEVER: Community Of FAITH, which is designed to welcome and assist in the healing of anyone who has been affected by church hurt and/or religious trauma. Rev. Dr. Dionne created this space through the ashes of her own church hurt and wants to walk with others on their journey of healing at the Cross.