“Open Wide The Gates: An Argument for Welcome, Affirmation, and Inclusion of Gay and Lesbian People in the Local Church”
by Brian D. Cunnington
Wipf & Stock, 2023, 300 pages

At A Glance: “Open Wide the Gates” presents a faithful and compassionate call for the full inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the life and ministry of the church.

Overview: “Open Wide the Gates” offers a compassionate and well-reasoned theological case for the full inclusion of gay and lesbian individuals within the life and ministry of the local church.

With clarity and grace, the book challenges the divisive rhetoric of the culture wars, confronting the harm done in the name of Christianity and offering a hopeful alternative grounded in biblical scholarship and ethical reflection. Brian D. Cunnington provides pastors, church leaders, and laypeople with a faithful and accessible guide to understanding inclusion not as a compromise, but as a deeper embodiment of Christ’s love.

This work calls the Church to open its gates wide—not in tolerance, but in joyful welcome and affirmation.

Thoughts from Readers: