Wheaton College official resigns over same-sex marriage stance

by Carrie Maxwell, Windy City Times

Julie Rodgers, a self-proclaimed celibate lesbian, submitted her resignation to Wheaton College July 13, less than a year after taking a position in the college's chaplain's office as an associate for spiritual care.

Rodgers, who was the college's first out LGBT staff member, was hired to lead Refuge, the first LGBT student group at Wheaton College. Wheaton College students Justin Massey, Wesley Davison and Tory Leonard co-founded Refuge, leading students for more than a year; however, upon Rodgers' hiring, the administration took over the group in the fall of 2014.

In a wide-ranging blog post following her resignation, Rodgers made note of her support of same-sex relationships.

"Though I've been slow to admit it to myself, I've quietly supported same-sex relationships for a while now," she wrote. "When friends have chosen to lay their lives down for their partners, I've celebrated their commitment to one another and supported them as they've lost so many Christian friends they loved. When young people have angsted at me about the gay debate, I've just told them to follow Jesus—to seek to honor Him with their sexuality and love others well.

"For some, I imagine they will feel led to commit to lifelong celibacy. For others, I think it will mean laying their lives down for spouses and staying true to that promise to the end. My main hope for all of them is that they would grow to love Jesus more and that it would overflow into a life spent on others."

More: http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Wheaton-College-official-resigns-over-same-sex-marriage-stance-/52187.html