Pastoral Care On Homosexuality - Part 4

PASTORAL CARE

As a Pastor, in order for us to give pastoral care to the homosexuals, we must first build a relationship with them. We need to understand their needs and problems. We need to be educated on this subject. As a pastor, we must be ready to accept a homosexual coming to us to seek for help within out church itself. We cannot reject them and push them to others but we must first be ready to teach them and help them as and individual. Many times, pastors are not ready to help the homosexuals because they themselves are not educated in this area. We need to know the dos and don’ts about those who struggle with this issue in order for us to help the homosexuals recover. For example, as Pastors, we need to know that a homophyllic is not a homosexual. Below is a table to differentiate between a homosexual and a homophyllic:

Dr. Angelo Grazioli who is a sex therapist talks a lot about being homophyllic. In the bible, Jesus and John, Naomi and Ruth, Jonathan and David, they were all homophyllics and they shared deep love for each other. Homophyllic is a gift from God and I personally believe that all pastors must try to develop this gift in order to able to give pastoral care to all genders.
As pastors, when we are giving pastoral care to a homosexual, personally as a pastor, we must believe that homosexuals can change. They are not born gay. If pastors do not hold to this believe, personally I feel they can never help a homosexual. How can one teach or educate the other when they themselves feel that it’s impossible to change. Jesus said in His Word, all things are possible that includes the homosexuals. As pastors, it is important for us to provide personal care and guidance in their spiritual growth. We need to teach a homosexual the love of Jesus by us ourselves demonstrating His love to them.
As Pastors we need to bring faith, hope and love to this people’s life. We need to make them realize the will of God and their lives and His Word. As John Stott says “Homosexual practice must be regarded, in the light of the whole biblical revelation, not a variant within the wide range of accepted normality, but as a deviation from God’s Norm, and if we should therefore call homosexually oriented people to abstain from homosexual practices and partnerships.”