Walking the Bridge

A Black Gay Faith Leader in Ecumenical & Interfaith Social Justice

Every journey begins with one step. At age 6, this faith leader took the first step toward the altar and a call to ministry. My path from a conservative evangelical church in Urbana, Ill., to Washington, D.C. has twisted and turned, leading me to become a Black gay liberal ordained United Church of Christ minister and Convergent Catholic Communion priest.

Preparing For Ministry

Preparations for entering ministry began almost immediately after walking to the altar and praying. They included getting involved with Seminarians, a group our pastor created. That participation taught me how to read the Bible, concordances, and commentaries.

Acknowledging my gayness ended that preparation. Being outed by my church drove me away from Faith Crusaders Church in 2003. Journalism replaced my call to ministry--or, so I thought--and launched a nearly 20-year career. God continuously dropped bread crumbs meant to lead me back to church.

Following An Invisible Path

In 2001, I interviewed a minister in Ottawa, Ill., who introduced me to the United Church of Christ. To someone still closeted, a denomination that welcomed LGBTQIA+ people seemed unreal. Trusting the church again wasn't in the cards. But God wasn't done with me yet. Moving to Pekin, Ill., became a pivotal moment.

Covering a serial killer led me to make a transformational discovery. A white Peoria man targeted seven women of color, supporting their substance abuse through sex work. Other reporters simply dismissed them as another murdered woman.

Long before #BlackLivesMatter, this reporter felt compelled to humanize those victims. Revs. Carole Hoke and Lauren Padgett, a lesbian couple of United Church of Christ ministers, created a pastoral care space for the families and allowed me to interview them.

Beginning A New Journey

Those moments taught me what social justice ministry could look like. The latter and several visits to Carole and Lauren's church didn't lure me back. Interviewing the Rev. Dr. Donnley Dutcher for the Journal-Standard in Freeport, Ill., brought me through St. John's United Church of Christ's doors in 2012.

The congregation eventually affirmed my call to the ministry and began my path toward ordained ministry, which brought me to Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS). Spending three years in Hyde Park, Chicago, earning my Master of Divinity, was magical.

Closed doors and endings left me broken and defeated. Walking through CTS' door on Sept. 3, 2013, initiated a miraculous metamorphosis that helped me to live into my call to social justice ministry. Protesting on the streets of Chicago and marching through Ferguson, Mo., changed me.

Despite the road to ordination being paved with parish ministry expectations, social ministry called my name. Uncertainty hung in the air until God provided it in due time. Becoming a United Church of Christ Justice & Peace Policy Fellow on Capitol Hill almost immediately after graduating from CTS in May 2016 transformed my life in more ways than one.

A Transformational Adventure

Being in community with Jewish and Muslim students at CTS planted a seed that grew into a passion for interfaith engagement. Working alongside colleagues from the Washington Interreligious Staff Community (WISC) allowed me to live out that commitment. I stood and fought with them against unjust healthcare and immigration legislation, among other things. The most impactful was connecting with NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice colleagues.

Sister Simone Campbell, NETWORK's former executive director, gave me space at public actions to speak out. Having my advocacy affirmed by the head Nun on the Bus was terrific. However, that experience helped eradicate Catholic stereotypes.

Not all Catholics are homophobic, rich, and sexist. NETWORK Government Relations Director Laura Peralta-Schulte's mentorship was also life-changing. Peralta-Schulte's approach to educating about the federal legislative process helped me become a better policy advocate. Our working relationship also deepened my respect for Catholics.

One of my first D.C. landlords, Paul Magno, became a profound Catholic influence. Magno is a Catholic Worker Movement veteran who served three years in prison for his part in a 1983 Ploughshares action. Soaking up his wisdom and hearing stories about him and his friends, the late Fathers Phil and Dan Berrigan, was always a treat.

Discovering A Wondrous Gift

These experiences prepared me to meet my favorite Catholic--sorry, Pope Francis--my husband, Jim Sweeney. We met online in February 2017 and became inseparable. Jim introduced me to Dignity Washington, a chapter of DignityUSA, a gathering of LGBTQIA+ Catholics.

My experience began with worship and grew into something more. What started as a respite from another ministry space grew into a community, chosen family, and service. That service has included being a Dignity Washington and DignityUSA board member, respectively.

Discernment unearthed a deeper call to ministry as a Catholic priest. Intrinsic intersectionality is nothing new for me. I'm a gay, biracial man who identifies as Black. Chosen intersectionality was a slightly newer concept despite being in an interracial relationship.

Considering A New Call

Befriending the Rev. Dr. Jerry Monroe Maynard, a queer Catholic priest, helped give me a role model. Discussions, support, and a suggestion to investigate the Convergent Catholic Communion gave me a new goal. Investigating the independent Catholic denomination affirmed my desire to join its ranks.

Conversations with now Bishop MichaelAngelo D'Arrigo grew into a full-fledged formation process. This ordained United Church of Christ minister became an ordained Convergent Catholic Communion priest on May 4, 2024. This future priest wrote most of the liturgy for my ordination service.

Now, that ecumenical faith leader is slowly integrating his denominational identities. Embracing denominational intersectionality has been more challenging. Every call to ministry comes with challenges. I'm ready to embrace them and see where this re-envisioned ministry leads me.

Rev. Father Jason Carson Wilson at his Convergent Catholic Communion Ordination