April 2022
Madison Park Times facebook.com/MadisonParkTimes
Serving East-Central Seattle since 1983
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Finding acceptance in church
New pastor receives warm welcome at Madrona Grace Presbyterian
Featured Stories
Letter to the editor Page 4
By Jessica Keller
Madison Park Time editor When Pastor Reginald Avant received a phone call from someone at Madrona Grace Presbyterian Church last summer, he was not excited to answer. Not only was he on his way to a bereavement call at the Atlanta hospital where he worked as a staff chaplain, but he dreaded answering another call from a prospective employer only to be told that, once again, that he had not been selected for a job to which he applied. Frankly, he didn’t want to hear it that day. Instead, in his text letting the caller know he could not speak at that time, Avant requested that the caller not stand on ceremony and tell him he had not gotten the Madrona Grace pastor job over the phone, but could he please just text him the news? In a subsequent phone call, however, Avant learned that, not only did church leadership want to offer him the job, but they wanted him for the position all along. It turns out that, unlike other Presbyterian churches to which he had applied for jobs over the last 15-plus years, the Madrona Grace congregation was more than happy to welcome a black, gay pastor in an inter-racial marriage to lead their church. Since his first day Aug. 1 of last year, the Madrona Grace congregation has embraced both “Pastor Reggie,” as he is called and his charismatic approach to preaching — something that carried over from his Pentecostal upbringing. Avant said, as well, his philosophy on practicing Christianity through a social justice lens coincides with what has been a long-time mission at Madrona Grace. Madrona Grace’s mission is to practice Christianity through hospitality, faith and justice, and its motto is “You are always welcome here, no matter what.” “For me, that’s a powerful point because for me, being a gay man, that has not always been the case,” Avant said. Sadly, that has not been the case for much of Avant’s religious journey, ever since he had to resign from his assistant pastor job at an Ontario, California church when he came out as gay in 1996. Avant said that setback and his overall poor experience coming out made him
SEE PASTOR, PAGE 5
Revisiting the Park Page 6
Property Views REAL ESTATE
Photo by Jessica Keller Pastor Reggie Avant stands among the pews at Madrona Grace Presbyterian Church, where he has led the congregation since Aug. 1 of last year. He and his congregation welcome everybody, no matter who they are, to attend the church.
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