BJUnity

Hey there, everybody. I am Rachel and I am a graduate of Bob Jones University. Like many of you, I grew up attending a fundamentalist Christian school and church. For as long as I have a memory, I have loved Jesus. As a child, it was easy to believe that Jesus, in turn, loved me. In all of the songs we sang and the verses that we memorized for Sunday school, the message repeated, yes, Jesus loves you. But as I grew older, that message became diluted. Jesus loves you, if you believe enough. Jesus loves you, if you read your Bible and pray every day. Jesus loves you, if you listen to the right kind of music and wear the right kind of clothes and keep the right kind of people as your friends. Jesus loves you, if…

In August 1999, I was months away from my 36th birthday. I had spent half of my life, 18 years, on the campus of BJU. I was a graduate of BJU—BA in art in 1985 and MS in counseling in 1997. I was taking additional courses toward the educational doctorate program. I had been on staff at BJU since graduation in 1985, and I had been the Business Office Manager for several years. I had taught as part-time art faculty. I was married with three children. And I was gay—I am gay.