THE COST OF TRUTH
Faith Stories of Mennonite and Brethren Leaders and Those Who Might Have Been

....Until we meet and get to know a person of whom we are afraid or of whom we think negatively and discover that they are just as human as we are, our phobia will not leave us!
This is the great value of the stories shared here.While not a personal meeting, nevertheless, we have the opportunity in reading them to get to know our sisters and brothers in Christ, their struggles, hopes, and aspirations. Some have served in pastoral roles and showed great promise until they shared their sexual identity, which has usually led to termination. This is a tragic loss to the church at a time when pastors are in increasingly short supply. It is also a form of violence against persons who cannot help that their genes are not "straight."
From the Foreword

In the stories that follow, sincere followers of Jesus share their stories of personal struggle and growth. These are not evil people hell-bent on bringing havoc to other people and to the earth that God has created. They are gentle people, seeking to know God and to follow where God's Spirit leads them. These are the sons and daughters of "our" church-the offspring of the body of Christ. Please listen with compassion to the reality of their lives.
I pray that the Spirit of God will lead us all to truth-not my truth-not your truth-but God's truth.
From the Prologue

I thank God for giving me the opportunity to learn to know the people whose stories are told here. At times, the combined pain of all of them was heavy to bear, but I wouldn't have wanted to miss this journey for anything in the world. To be confident that I am doing the work God has chosen for me enables me to live with joy. My deep desire is that God's kingdom may come and God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
From Acknowledgments

---

Foreword - Cornelius (C.J.) Dyck (Retired Seminary Professor)

Prologue - Roberta Showalter Kreider

Mixed Messages - Shannon Neufeldt

It Is a Joy to Finally Say, "Yes!" - David P. Weaver

Living with Integrity: A Journey of Truth Telling - Matthew J. Smucker

Navigating "Contrary Advocacy" - Kathleen Temple

My Call to Ministry - John Carter

Haunted by God - Eva O'Diam

From the Inside Out - Sue Blauch

A Double Life - A Mennonite Pastor

Signs of Hope - Ruth E. Wenger

Through a Glass, Darkly - Tom Arbaugh

Finding Hope - Julia Zacharias

Okay to be Gay-God Made Me This Way - Bob Life

The Pain and the Joy of Change - John K. Stoner

The Person God Made Me to Be - A Former Church of the Brethren Pastor

Conference-Minded: A Rainbow Thread in the Mennonite Church - Doug Basinger

You Can't Teach Here Anymore - Ronald E. Brunk

The Craziest of Second Comings - Anita Fast

When the Truth is Told, Who Will Be There to Listen? - Amy Short

An Exciting Journey - Ken Roth

Searching for Integrity - Pat Spaulding, Sybil Heerdegen, Craig Spaulding

Please Don't Be Afraid of My Happiness - Lin Garber

Born of Solidarity - Rachel Jackson

A Life of Hope in the Margins - Lynn Dykeman

Called to Serve the Lord: Being a Good Boy for Jesus - Keith G. Schrag

Open to Strangers - Frank Ward

Two Faithful Congregations - John Linscheid

"Small Deaths and Little Resurrections" - Anneli Braul

Gifts on the Journey - Brenda Dyck

My Journey Toward the Light - Vida S. Huber

Lament of an Outlier - Glenn M. Kauffman

God's Table and Churchland Security:
Creating Welcome Within a Culture of Fear - Anne Breckbill

Why I Believe... Eighty-four Responses with One Hundred Eleven Signatures

Epilogue - Roberta Showalter Kreider

Back to home page