Seventh-Gay Adventists Film Synopsis

Being a gay Christian isn’t easy, but being a gay Seventh-day Adventist is an especially difficult path because Adventism, to most, is more than a belief system; it’s also a close-knit community of belonging. The unique setting of Adventism, a worldwide denomination with 16 million members with distinct cultural markers, heightens this conflict. In many ways tangible and intangible, being Adventist is much more than subscribing to a set of beliefs. It is a way of life, a community not easily left.

Most Adventists follow strict dietary guidelines, attend church schools, go to church hospitals, and often have few friends outside of the church. By definition they attend church on Saturdays not Sunday, a practice which separates them even from other Christians. For someone immersed in the church, the culture and DNA of Adventism is almost like an ethnicity. They can no easier stop being Adventist than they can stop being gay.

For all its apparent peculiarities, Adventism does not deviate from the Christian mainstream in its condemnation of homosexuality. This leaves LGBT Adventists with a gut-wrenching decision. They have to choose between remaining a member in good standing in the church they love and the possibility of an intimate, loving relationship. Or is there a way to reconcile their faith and identity?

What keeps people loyal to a church that teaches that their innate desires are immoral? What is it about Adventism that inculcates such strong ties? How do people reconcile such a core conflict between their identities?

The film will explore this intersection of faith, identity, and sexuality through the stories of LGBT Adventists who are struggling with their desire to belong to the church they know and love and their need to be fully accepted for who they are.

People we've met

We're continually amazed by the stories we're privileged to share in the making of this film. We've now had dozens of LGBT Adventists from every walk of life come visit our story booth. Here are a few film subjects that especially stand out...

We met a young man who spent five years in a “change ministry.” He only recently started to explore the idea that he might not be able to change--and maybe God is okay with that.

We met another young man who isn’t out to his family and fears what will happen if/when they find out he’s gay. He’s from a country where LGBT individuals literally face the possibility of persecution and even death.

We met a woman who is worried about her job within the Adventist church if it’s known that she identifies as a lesbian.

We met a group of gay students on an Adventist campus who are actively trying to decide what God calls them to--must they be celibate? Or does a God of love understand their desire for a family? They’re looking for answers and an earnest conversation.