"0% of Outreachs 100 Largest churches have affirming LGBTQ+ policies"

[Voltaire2]

Church Clarity has released new data which scores the 100 largest churches in America in 2017 as featured in the Christian publication, Outreach Magazine. In addition to scoring for clarity of LGBTQ+ policy, the data also covers racial and gender diversity among senior pastors.

Here are the highlights of what we've found:

Only 35% have CLEAR LGBTQ+ policies on the main pages of the websites

65% of these church websites either obscure policy language
(54% UNCLEAR) or entirely omit (11% UNDISCLOSED)
their actively enforced LGBTQ+ policies.

43% are non-denominational churches; only 3 in 10 have clear LGBTQ+ policies.

7% are led by a senior pastor of color
(people of color are 38% of US population)

1% are led by a senior female pastor, who is a co-pastor with her husband (women are 50% of the US population and 8% of Fortune 100 CEOs)

https://www.churchclarity.org/100

[yallerdawg]

1. You don't see Progress with a capital P?

50 years ago this would have been "100% of churches affirm LGBTQ+ will be going straight to hell!"

Churches are the last bastion of "tradition" (OK, synagogues, too) including outdated values.

I think it is remarkable that in our lifetimes we have seen such profound progressive changes across the spectrum of society, and that includes organized religion which is trying to come along - as evidenced by the data!

We are ALL getting there!!!

[Cuthbert Allgood]

3. So you admit that religion/churches only change

when they are dragged into it by secular society. That churches aren't leading the charge in progressive issues.

[yallerdawg]

4. Like abolition?

And civil rights?

Leading the charge!

Religions are influenced by their members, and on some social issues there is a lot going on.

American Catholics have been ambivalent about abortion and contraception, but the millions of Catholics outside of the US have a voice, too.

When I say the US has changed remarkably over the last 50 years on same-sex issues, there has always been a small number of activists with unshakable faith - within and without the big religious organizations!

We are ALL coming around! Secular society gets dragged, too. Ask Obama when Biden jacked him up on marriage equality.

How many years ago was that?

[msongs]

2. they work hard. for the $$. that is all nt

[PragmaticDem]

5. I assume these are mega churches so I am not surprised they are not LGBT friendly.

I found that it is smaller neighborhood churches that are more inclusive.