Today we’d like to introduce you to Deacon Godsey.
Hi Deacon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in southern Minnesota, in a conservative evangelical home, and was deeply committed to Republican political ideology. I had dreams of becoming a popular leader, teacher, writer, and speaker. Now my wife of 30 years and I live in Lawrence, KS where I’m the Lead Pastor a small post-evangelical church, where Jill works with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and where our trans daughter Ruby comes to visit when she’s not on campus studying Political Science at Wichita State University.
In 2020 I completed a masters thesis on interpreting the violent portraits of God in the Old Testament through the lens of Jesus dying on the cross, and am now an Adjunct Professor of Religion at Ottawa University, teaching courses on World Religions, Christianity In a Pluralistic World, and Issues In Science and Religion.
I used to read the Bible literally, but now I take it more seriously. I used to wrap Jesus in a flag, but now I actively speak out against White Christian Nationalism. I used to hold conservative, traditional views across the board, but in recent years I have changed my mind on a whole host of issues, including coming to the realization that my previous views on human gender, sexuality, and marriage were wrong, which eventually led to helping our church walk through a process of changing our perspective and practice in that regard, all while maintaining our commitment to Jesus and the broad strokes of the historic Christian tradition.
I’m also the living, breathing avatar of privilege, and am learning to do what I can to leverage my privilege and platform (however small) for the sake of those more vulnerable and marginalized than myself, especially for sexual minorities, people of color, and those experiencing homelessness.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As I said, I’ve lived an incredibly privileged life. I am a white, cisgendered, heterosexual man with a Masters Degree, a full-time job (and a part-time job) doing what I love, all while being married to my best friend, owning a home, adopting our only child 20 years ago, and being totally free of student loan debt due to the generosity of my parents, and of our church family who helped pay for over half of my seminary education.
Yes, there have been challenges. Navigating my own spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction in “real time,” while leading a church community full of people trying to do the same, was incredibly difficult, but deeply rewarding. Being emergency foster parents to a young girl with non-verbal autism during the pandemic – while also completing my Masters program, leading our church, and starting to teach at the undergrad level – was the most challenging period of my life. But that only speaks to the immense privilege I have enjoyed throughout my life, and the many challenges I haven’t had to face as a result.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have served as the Lead Pastor of Vintage Church in Lawrence, KS since 2013. I became an Adjunct Professor of Religion at Ottawa University in 2020. And perhaps my favorite job of all, I am somewhat of an “on call” dishwasher at Taylor’s Donuts.
I specialize in trying to make complex religious and/or spiritual ideas more accessible, and am known for doing so in a way that embraces faithfulness over certainty, and a generous orthodoxy over religious or ideological fundamentalism.
I am incredibly proud of the community of people we share our lives with, of the kind of church culture we have forged together, of the work my wife Jill does to seek the best life possible for the adults she serves, and of the way our daughter has navigated the challenges of starting high school during the pandemic, being the only non-white student in most of her classes growing up, and of being a hispanic young adult (and natural born citizen) successfully navigating college during this tumultuous time in our nation’s social and political landscape.
I am a man of strong convictions, but try to hold them loosely and extend them with grace and humility, instead of grasping them with a closed fist and wielding them as a weapon.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Well, that’s a tough one, since I kind of make my living by sharing my thoughts, ideas, and perspectives on a whole host of subjects, big and small, and try to do so with as much appropriate transparency as possible.
I was once told, “People will love what you love, and you will show them how,” and that’s definitely been true of my approach to life. I find things I love, then look for opportunities to share those resources with those around me; I study and learn as much as I can, then look for ways to share those insights with as much clarity as possible.
Perhaps the only thing people MIGHT not know about me right now is how much I enjoy doing 1,000 piece puzzles as a way to relax. I don’t look for the toughest puzzles possible, but for those I find beautiful to look at when they’re done, and that give me a sense of accomplishment without having to break my brain in the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vintagelawrence.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deaconjgodsey
- Other: https://a.co/d/3UpCCWg
