A Whosoever Church, by Gary David Comstock
The title of Gary Comstock's book is based on John 3:16, one of the most frequently quoted New Testament passages: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." Many Christians interpret this verse as establishing a creed of unconditional inclusivity.
Comstock's book presents a collection of interviews he conducted with various African-American clergy and scholars. Its subtitle is likely to catch the attention of a wide spectrum of the African-American community, whether religious or not. Why? Long before the Clinton's administration's "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gays and lesbians in the military, the African-American church had institutionalized the silencing of gay men and lesbians, while at the same time assigning them specific roles within the music ministry. This arrangement works well for churches if there is no public confession or acknowledgment of one's sexuality.
Comstock divides his interviews into four sections. The first, "Paving the Way," discusses the challenges of putting into practice theologies of inclusion. Typical of the responses in this section is the statement by Timothy McDonald, pastor of First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia: "I do believe in sin, but how does one begin to move from condemning the sinner and throwing out the sinner with everything we perceive to be sinful?" Similarly, Larry C. Merryweather-Woods, senior pastor of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Omaha, Nebraska, says, "I will not put one sin up against another. . . . When you use the text that homosexuality is an abomination before God, you should also look at what else is an abomination before God as well."
