The Marin Foundation is a 501c3
non-profit that works to build bridges between the LGBT community and
the Church through scientific research, biblical and social
education, and diverse community gatherings. The organization opens
up the opportunities for people of different and often opposing
viewpoints. The Marin Foundation was founded by Andrew Marin, author
of “Love is an Orientation” and an avid protector of LGBTQ rights
in the Chicago community and nationwide. During the time of this
interview, Andrew was abroad studying at St. Andrews and Halfstack
had the opportunity to speak with Michael Kimpan, the Associate
Director of The Marin Foundation. His insights and experiences truly
help to establish his success leading this Chicago based
organization.
Michael’s journey into this calling
begins with a messy story, but has culminated into a beautiful
opportunity to make a difference in many people’s lives. Michael
grew up in an incredibly conservative family, having attended Moody
Bible Institute and fully committed to the secular teachings that
surrounded him. He eventually graduated and pursued a career in the
church. The cracks in the walls began to appear at one of his first
positions post-college at a Church based in Michigan.
Sex scandals are frequently highlighted
in the media, yet it is so rare that one hits so close to home.
Michael wasn’t aware, but prior to his taking on a youth pastor
role, there were accusations of sexual abuse against the person who
held the role before him. The scandal was swept under the rug by the
senior pastor and Michael discovered this atrocity due to his role as
a mentor to the youth affected. It was at this moment that Michael
made a decision that would forever change his life. He did what he
felt was right and contacted the proper authorities, filed a report
and forever changed the path of his career.
Needless to say, Michael didn’t see
eye to eye with the Church and he was fired for the route of action
he took. It was in this trying time that the theology he developed
began to falter. The things he thought to be true were not panning
out as expected and ultimately he had to do some soul searching.
Not much longer after losing his job,
Michael found himself back in Chicago, attending graduate school at
Fuller Theological Seminary and working as a Barista. He saw a
tremendous amount of success during this time frame, but his
relationship with his wife was slowly falling apart due to him not
working in ministry. This was an issue that they could not overcome
and ultimately led to their divorce. These were some of his darkest
moments and a time where he was beginning to abandon his faith.
During his time slinging coffee, moving
up the corporate management ladder at “The Buck” Michael
developed his first friendship with an openly gay individual, Eric.
Eric was the first gay man that Michael was ever close with and
Michael was the first Evangelical Pastor Eric ever connected with.
Needless to say, the pairing couldn’t have been any more unlikely.
Yet, they each taught each other a tremendous amount in regards to
their beliefs and experiences within each of their cultures and
communities. Overtime, this relationship began to breakdown the false
stereotypes and negative connotations that Michael had about the gay
community.
During his struggles, Michael
eventually came to the realization that despite what he believed, he
wanted to be able to work out those issues within a community faith.
He wanted to work in a community that could help him decide whether
or not he wanted to work as a pastor and decide what kind of work to
dedicate his life to. It was during this time he asked difficult
questions such as, “could I be a divorced man working as a pastor?”
and “What about my friends in the gay and lesbian community who
were hurt by people who had the same beliefs I did?”
After working in a church in Peoria for
3 years, Michael connected with Andrew Marin and shared his goals to
work more closely on examining how the Evangelical Christian
community could better the conversations between themselves and the
gay community. It was at this point that Andrew had shared that he
was interested in bringing Michael aboard as the Executive Director
of his foundation while he studied abroad. This role was just the
direction Michael needed as his desire to, “live out [his] faith in
Jesus was in line with the vision and mission behind The Marin
Foundation,”
The Marin Foundation truly works to
bridge the gap between two seemingly opposing communities. When asked
about the disconnect between the communities, Michael poses a great
point. Typically in media we “see a split screen type debate when
religion is discussed in conjunction with being gay, there is no real
engagement, no real respect or dignity given to someone who holds an
opposing view point.” Creating a new category of cultural
engagement in conversations of faith, sexuality and beyond is the
true goal of The Marin Foundation.
During our conversation, Michael
highlighted that there are great books that help with this dialogue
and transition including his own book, “Love Never Fails” set to release Andrew’s
published book: “Love is an Orientation” and a book by Matthew
Vines called “God and the Gay Christian”. These books truly get
to the heart of the responsibility that leaders, churches and pastors
have within this type of conversation.
These types of book help to shed light
on the idea that Michael suggests that as a culture, we are addicted
to wanting and finding clear-cut answers. People want to know who you
are, what you believe, what your orientation is which are questions
that lead to a biased direction on how to treat one another;
typically, as an outsider depending on which side the person is
coming from in terms of a religious standpoint. Yet, Michael
highlights, “when one fully explores the gospel, Jesus engages with
the so-called other, those most marginalized in society standing in
solidarity with them and he crosses all kinds of religious and
cultural boundaries in order to do so.” And he even points out that
if one truly searches, the only people Jesus actually spoke out
against were the religious elite who kept people out of their
community.
From this comes his belief that as a
Christian, no matter if he has a more progressive or conservative
opinion on sexuality, same sex marriage and other politically charged
subjects, it is his duty to engage with people in a respectful and
kind manner. Ultimately, organizations such as The Marin Foundation
are all about sharing and spreading the love. Rather than, attempting
to make those of faith conform to a specific mold, the organization
is there to help, guide and accept people as they are. Michael notes
that the organization is often met with suspicion from both sides of
the bridge.
Due to this, the organization has
adopted a “come-and-see” approach to how they interact with both
the Christian and Gay communities. This has helped those questioning
see first hand the amazing work they do right in the community of
Boys Town including the “I’m Sorry Campaign” during Chicago’s
Gay Pride Parade or the Living with Intention Workshops. Many a
person has had a change of heart after experiencing such an
opportunity and it is those moments that make what the team does feel
so fulfilling. When they can facilitate more than just understanding,
but also deep friendships, it makes the hard work worth it. To
Michael, “that is the equivalent of God and Heaven occurring here
on Earth.”
As the Marin
Foundation continues to develop and grow, the team has many plans and
projects to undertake. The most recent project that the group is most
excited about is “The Parent Resource Initiative.” It is a
resource for conservative Christian parents of LBGTQ children that
helps parents and youth work through the misunderstanding they may
have. Michael states that, “for so long these relationships have
been hijacked by misunderstanding on how to engage one another,”
and this program provides them with the tools they need to better
work together and love one another. Statistics show that LGBTQ youth
are more likely to runaway from home than heterosexual youth and,
among youth who experience homelessness, LGBTQ youth are more likely
to stay with a stranger and less likely to stay in a shelter than
heterosexual youth. This information paints a scary picture, but The
Marin Foundation saw an opportunity to make a change in their
community and empower both parents and youth to do better, be better
and love better.
Interested in The Marin Foundation?
Check them out here!
To read this article and many others check out our summer issue here!
Check them out here!
To read this article and many others check out our summer issue here!
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