Bio:

Rev. Robyn Gray, Ph.D. (she/hers) might be called anomalous by some, and heretical by others. Many would discount her out of hand because they believe women in church should remain silent. Others would dismiss outright her message of love because they believe LGBTQ people have no place in church, let alone church leadership. Yet she brings a word every week at her church to love God and neighbor, all neighbors, in an accessible message for both long-time believers and those new to the faith. She is more interested in the contours of the journey than the rules of the road. Pastor Robyn’s winding path to the ministry started out in the south suburbs of Chicago, in a conservative faith tradition who refuses to ordain women. Feeling she must be misunderstanding her call to serve in a leadership capacity, she pursued a degree in engineering. After 5 years she realized that wasn’t feeding her soul, so she thought a teaching career as a psychology professor might be a better fit. After finishing a Ph.D. in experimental psychology, she ended up working for 20 years in data management. But the Holy Spirit’s patience wore thin, and finally found a communication channel that worked well, and now Pastor Robyn serves a small Open and Affirming United Church of Christ congregation in rural northwest Connecticut. Her sermons offer insight and humor, tying current events to the scriptures in unique ways. Pastor Robyn believes God’s love is for everyone, and shares that perspective with those struggling to overcome teachings of exclusion, reminding those gathered that the context of scripture is just as important as the message, and when the context gets lost, the message suffers.

Program:

Boundaries, purity, and power – Love really can conquer all
Pastor Robyn brings her experiences as a queer faith leader to help dissolve the myths and misunderstandings around living as religious LGBTQ+ persons. She helps people struggling with either their own journey or that of their loved ones in reconciling their beliefs and their identities.