Synopses & Reviews
Jimmy Creech, a United Methodist pastor in North Carolina, was visited one morning in 1984 by Adam, a longtime parishioner whom he liked and respected. Adam said that he was gay, and that he was leaving The United Methodist Church, which had just pronounced that andldquo;self-avowed practicing homosexualsandrdquo; could not be ordained. He would not be part of a community that excluded him. Creech found himself instinctively supporting Adam, telling him that he was sure that God loved and accepted him as he was.
Adamandrsquo;s Gift is Creechandrsquo;s inspiring first-person account of how that conversation transformed his life and ministry.
Adamandrsquo;s visit prompted Creech to re-evaluate his belief that homosexuality was a sin, and to research the scriptural basis for the churchandrsquo;s position. He determined that the church was mistaken, that scriptural translations and interpretations had been botched and dangerously distorted. As a Christian, Creech came to believe that discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people was morally wrong. This understanding compelled him to perform same-gender commitment ceremonies, which conflicted with church directives. Creech was tried twice by The United Methodist Church, and, after the second trial, his ordination credentials were revoked. Adamandrsquo;s Gift is a moving story and an important chapter in the unfinished struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil and human rights.
Review
andldquo;Essential reading for gay and lesbian Christians and other LGBT readers, Creechandrsquo;s memoir should serve as an important case study for pastors and denominations reexamining their stance toward sexual minorities.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Adamandrsquo;s Gift is not simply the dramatic, true story of one manandrsquo;s courageous and sacrificial stand against denominational practices that lead to the denial of full inclusion for lesbians and gays. It is also an intimate and powerful look at the current struggle between the forces of light and dark for the heart and soul of the Christian church.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;I would like to express a deep debt of gratitude to Jimmy Creech. He perceived what God is up to and then had the courage to act on his conviction, no matter what the price was to himself. Thank God for the prophets in our midst. May God give us the courage to emulate them!andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Jimmy Creech is a man who puts his life where his Gospel is! His amazing journey, as told in his memoir, is the story of a follower of Christ who, like Christ, risked his own life and ministry for the sake of the marginalized and scorned. The LGBT community will forever owe him a debt for his sacrifice and his witness to the love of God for ALL of Godandrsquo;s children.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;andrsquo;Heroandrsquo; is an overused word in our vocabulary today. When I think of heroes, I think of men and women who've risked everything for a cause they believed in, not for pay, not because they were conscripted, and not because it was popular, but because andmdash; despite the public ridicule and the certainty that what they were doing would cost them dearly andmdash; they followed their conscience. Or in the case of Jimmy Creech, followed their understanding of what Christianity was all about. . . . If you don't know Creech's story, or even if you do andmdash; and many in Raleigh will remember some of it andmdash; the book is a page-turner from the day Creech arrives in Nebraska to the guilty verdict that sends him back to North Carolina. . . .Great book.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Creechandrsquo;s detailed dissection of deep-rooted anti-gay attitudes, intensely personal and spiritually impassioned, honors a remarkable straight ally.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Eleven years in the making, the authorandrsquo;s valiant, first-person narrative examines the conundrum of religion vs. reason. . . . An inspirational example of unbiased humanitarianism.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;With often rich, always empathetic prose, Creech proves to be a pastor andmdash; who honors the minds but challenges the ideas andmdash; to a large and varied flock of readers.andrdquo;
Review
andquot;Adamand#39;s Gift is the most engaging and candid autobiography I have come across. Creechandrsquo;s extraordinary journey certainly reveals his innermost desire to help allay the suffering that exists on our planet. Viewed within this context, it comes as no surprise that as a young United Methodist minister he became involved in the justice issue that would rock the church from withinandmdash;the LGBTQ rights movement. . . . Unfortunately, Jimmyand#39;s message of inclusiveness and acceptance of LGBT rights within the Christian community was ahead of his time and was, therefore, not heard or correctly understood by the leadership. In 1999, he was defrocked by a U.M. church trial court. But that did not stop him from continuing his advocacy and activism within the church. . . . Creechand#39;s early witness and activism within the church have provided a foundation for our new understanding of what ministerial integrity means in the LGBTQ movement.andquot;
Synopsis
The inspiring first-person account of a minister whose ordination credentials were revoked by The United Methodist Church after he performed same-gender commitment ceremonies.
About the Author
Jimmy Creech is a former United Methodist minister, now retired and living in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has worked with many social-action organizations, including Soulforce, an interfaith movement confronting spiritual violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons; the Methodist Federation for Social Action; the Raleigh Religious Network for Gay and Lesbian Equality; and Faith in America, an organization working to end religion-based bigotry. He has received the Flagbearer Award from PFLAG National; the Human Rights Campaign Equality Award; the Saint Award presented by Metropolitan Community Church, San Francisco; the North Carolina Pride, Inc. Award; and the Lee and Mae Ball Award, presented by The Methodist Federation for Social Action. He was selected as one of OUT magazineandrsquo;s andldquo;Out 100andrdquo; in 1998 and 1999.