Reflections on Fabulous Fierce & Sacred

Thoughts on Fabulous Fierce & Sacred, May 2-4, 2025 by Pastor Chris Becker (he/they)

This past weekend Kim and I hopped on a plane and flew to Philadelphia. We went for the Fabulous Fierce & Sacred retreat put on by the Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests. The retreat was hosted by two local Mennonite churches in Philadelphia, which I will not name as we were asked not to disclose this information to those who did not attend. I cannot express enough how wonderful this weekend retreat was.

We made new friends and connected with some old friends, but most of all, it was the atmosphere of the event that made it so special. Being in the same space with 78 other Anabaptists identifying as queer or trans was truly liberating. To be fair, there were also a few allies in attendance.

I have been exploring my identity as a queer person for some time now, but this weekend really hit me. I feel now like I belong in a way I did not feel before. This weekend, I was free to be me and express myself in ways I have not been able to in the past. There’s just something about being amongst your own people. It is liberating.

Kim and I attended two workshops while there. The first was “Queering Scripture & Theology” and the second was “Polyamory & Faith.” Both were enlightening.

The first workshop on queer theology proved to be important to me. It’s not that i learned new techniques or found great resources (though I did), but I learned that I’ve been doing queer theology all along. I am queer and I do theology. That is queer theology. Interestingly, there are several types of theology that have formed what we today call queer theology. These include apologetic theology, liberation theology, and relational theology. Turns out I’ve been practicing relational theology for most of my ministry and I just didn’t know it. Yay me!

We gained some resources from the second workshop. We learned new ideas regarding how we as people of faith can (and maybe should) be expressing love in all of our relationships and how many of the current ideas surrounding traditional marriage and sexuality are entrenched in white colonialism and patriarchy. This is not okay.

Kim and I arrived home both invigorated and encouraged. We feel enlightened and lightened. Kim and I have found our place in a new community that brings life and joy to our souls. We learned some new songs that embrace inclusion and celebrate our differences, but mostly, we found ourselves. And from now on, hopefully you will be seeing this true me in everything I do. Peace to you all as we continue our journey together.

Click here to learn more about Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Interests