Reflections on my time at Church and Society

It doesn’t seem possible to adequately summarize the whirlwind of the past couple of months in my new role at Church and Society. But, I want to start with a huge thank you. I’m very grateful to everyone for being so welcoming and helping with my orientation process.

This position is my first foray into professional work with a faith-based organization, and like many LGBTQ people of faith, I haven’t always had a positive experience with organized religion.

Some Christians have called me an extremist for my work as a feminist and LGBTQ activist. (I’ve never figured out how ensuring that we are each treated equally and given the same fundamental rights is “extreme.”) But, I was also blessed to have United Methodist parents who walk the walk when it comes to unconditional love, for their children and humanity at large. They subscribe to a God who delights in diversity.

So, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The staff at Church and Society quickly soothed my fears. It was clear they share my parents’ mindset. The Rev. Drs. Liberato Bautista and Susan Henry-Crowe and the entire staff radiate God’s love for all people. That’s not a small thing, and I don’t take it for granted.

On one of my first days at the U.N. Church Center, a swami — I’d never met a swami before — joked kindly about my haircut. Then he grasped both my hands and told me to bring my authentic self to work. He’d intuited my worries. “We want the real Quinn here,” he said. This scene occurred in a conference room decorated to honor the historical struggle for women’s rights around the world. It blew me away. I cried. In retrospect, it was a perfect first U.N.-style lesson: don’t underestimate people. They may deserve more credit than you think.

Unbelievably, my experience kept getting better.

I’ll never forget how I felt upon entering the U.N. with Bautista for the first time. The building has a magical energy I can’t describe without sounding cheesy. (But, I’ll take the risk.)

The building has an electric, contagious hope. There is a feeling of growing momentum that makes you think, “we can truly do this!” We could end human suffering and rescue our common home. Strangers from across the world surround you, yet you undeniably feel that you’re among kindred spirits. That’s because you are.

I’ve attended several U.N. events. To name a few: a forum on youth in peacebuilding; an interfaith prayer breakfast for faith-based organizations seeking to eradicate HIV and AIDS; and intergenerational dialogues on the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.

I’ve heard former President Bill Clinton and Barbara Bush, former President George W. Bush’s daughter, speak about how we can better treat hearing impairment in children in developing nations.

I crossed paths with the Rev. William Barber and the king of Polynesia.

I met unsung heroes I didn’t know I had: the creator of a scholarship fund for children of incarcerated parents; the founder of the first advocacy group for transwomen in Brazil; and a young pastor who repaid the kindness of a nun who’d given him a violin as a shoeless child in Mexico by building a music academy for orphans.

Attending U.N. functions with my new supervisor is a treat in itself. Bautista knows everyone and stands out as a valued pillar of the community. It is a privilege to work for, and with people you admire. Just strolling around with him for 20 minutes, I had the pleasure of meeting the past president of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations. Another friend of his casually invited me to Cambodia to help train local nurses.

That is all to say, the opportunity to create meaningful change feels quite real, and that is amazing.

At every turn, I’ve heard the messages I had hoped I would. I have heard the unequivocal affirmations of our United Methodist theology, for which my heart was so thirsty.

I have heard that the voices and needs of victims must be prioritized first in shaping conflict resolution.

I have heard that we cannot have sustainable peace while racial and gender-based discrimination exists.

I have heard that LGBTQ voices are not only welcome but required at the table of dialogue.

I have heard that human rights are for every single person on this planet.

To conclude, I couldn’t be more proud or motivated to be working alongside everyone in the Church and Society family. I’m looking forward to a beautiful future of living faith, seeking justice, and pursuing peace together!