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;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;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;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
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;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
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;
Review
"Snyder-Hill offers a moving and insightful epitaph to a destructive policy."and#8212;Publishers Weekly
Review
and#8220;Stephen Snyder-Hill has written a compelling account of his experience as a closeted gay soldier in the era of and#8216;Donand#8217;t Ask, Donand#8217;t Tell.and#8217; It is at once a heart-wrenchingly intimate look at the corrosive consequences of being forced to live a double life, a love story, and a profile in hard-won courage. The book chronicles his journey from fear and secrecy to an unforgettable moment on the national stageand#8212;and beyond.and#8221;and#8212;Christopher Goffard, author and staff writer for the
Los Angeles Timesand#160;and#160;
and#160;
and#160;
Review
and#8220;Here is the tale of an eagle who awakes to find himself shackled. He beats his wings and struggles mightily until his chains give way and heand#8217;s allowed to soar skyward. But listen and hear the rasp in his cries for freedom. Look and see his mighty wings are torn, his proud legs bloodied. Who dared enslave this majestic creature? Read his story and know the price paid for intolerance and the limitless joy of triumph.and#8221;and#8212;Harvey Fierstein, Tony Awardand#8211;winning actor and playwright
Review
andquot;[Soldier of Change] is an important story to read if you need to know where LGBT rights have been and whose brought them forward. Itandrsquo;s also one to enjoy if you want an informal, easy-to-like memoir. Even in this post-DADT time, Soldier of Change is a book to call for.andquot;andmdash;Terri Schlichenmeyer, Washington Blade
Review
andldquo;Read [Snyder-Hillandrsquo;s] story and know the price paid for intolerance and the limitless joy of triumph.andrdquo;andmdash;Harvey Fierstein, Tony Awardandndash;winning actor and playwright
Synopsis
An autobiographical account of the events leading to the defrocking of Pastor Jimmy Creech, who won national recognition for his efforts to perform commitment ceremonies for gay couples in the Methodist Church.
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.
Synopsis
When and#8220;Donand#8217;t Ask, Donand#8217;t Tell,and#8221; the official U.S. policy on gays serving in the military, was repealed in September 2011, soldier Stephen Snyder-Hill (then Captain Hill) was serving in Iraq. Having endured years of this policy, which passively encouraged a culture of fear and secrecy for gay soldiers, Snyder-Hill submitted a video to a Republican primary debate held two days after the repeal. In the video he asked for the Republicansand#8217; thoughts regarding the repeal and their plans, if any, to extend spousal benefits to legally married gay and lesbian soldiers. His video was booed by the audience on national television.
Soldier of Change captures not only the media frenzy that followed that moment, placing Snyder-Hill at the forefront of this modern civil rights movement, but also his twenty-year journey as a gay man in the army: from self-loathing to self-acceptance to the most important battle of his lifeand#8212;protecting the disenfranchised. Since that time, Snyder-Hill has traveled the country with his husband, giving interviews on major news networks and speaking at universities, community centers, and pride parades, a champion of LGBT equality.and#160;
About the Author
“Adam’s Gift is not simply the dramatic, true story of one man’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.”—Reverend Dr. Mel White“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!”—Reverend John McNeil“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 God’s children.”—Bishop Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire