Since its founding, OutChristian has been a beacon of hope, connection, and affirmation for LGBTQ people of faith. Through your support, we have built a welcoming community, encouraged meaningful conversations, and provided resources to navigate the intersection of faith and identity. We are deeply grateful for the generosity, passion, and commitment you have shown over the years.

As times change, so must we. After careful consideration, the Board of Directors has made the difficult but ultimately hopeful decision to wind down OutChristian’s operations. This decision is guided by several factors:

• In late 2023, our chairperson informed the board of his intent to step back from leadership and operational responsibilities within the organization. In the subsequent months, this prompted a prayerful reflection among the board on the organization’s ongoing program management and long-term sustainability, especially considering current developments in the United States.
• This is a critical time for the LGBTQ+ community in facing some of the greatest threats and challenges from an increasingly hostile socio-political landscape. While resources and support for our community are needed now more than ever, we also strongly believe it will be important that these resources should be directed to the organizations best placed to advocate and defend the fundamental rights and freedoms of queer populations.
• While it may seem counterintuitive to close during such a crucial time, we instead see it as the responsible and ethical thing to do. OutChristian was not established as an advocacy-driven organization, and by stepping back we are helping to ensure the needed resources and efforts to instead channel to the organizations with established infrastructure, reach, and operational capabilities to better meet these threats head-on.

While this transition marks the end of OutChristian in its current form, we see it as an opportunity rather than a loss. By consolidating efforts and strengthening existing advocacy and support networks, we believe our community will continue to thrive. This is not a farewell to our mission, but a reaffirmation that our work lives on through the organizations and individuals carrying it forward.

As part of our winddown efforts, the following will be implemented starting this week:

• All recurring donations to OutChristian will be automatically discontinued, and any donations received on or after January 1, 2025, will be refunded back to the respective donors. If you donated through recurring mailed-in payments, we ask you to cancel those with your institution. Any checks received will be shredded unless specified otherwise.
• The Out At Sea community travel program will revert back to a community-organized event independent of OutChristian or other organizations, and will continue its operations. The annual Out in Faith gathering will be discontinued.
• We will offer one final round of scholarships for LGBTQ Seminary students. Interested students may apply here.
• In alignment with our by-laws and federal 501(c)3 guidelines, all remaining financial resources and assets will be donated to an organization with similar goals and values. The Board of Directors is currently working on finalizing that assignment.

We encourage you to stay connected, continue advocating for LGBTQ inclusion in faith spaces, and support organizations whose missions align with OutChristian’s core values. We encourage you to learn more about and consider supporting these incredible organizations:

• CenterPeace
• Equality Federation
• Lambda Legal
• The Naming Project
• PFLAG
• Q Christian Fellowship
• TransLifeline
• The Trevor Project
• The Tyler Clementi Foundation

These organizations have been consistently recognized for their work in community education and development, grassroots advocacy, capacity building, and operational flexibility and sustainability. We encourage you to research them to see which organization aligns best with your personal giving priorities, goals, and values.

We cannot express our gratitude to each of you for being part of this journey with us these past several years. Your faith, love, and courage have made a lasting impact, and we trust that the seeds we have planted together will continue to bear fruit.

If you have any questions about this transition, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

With gratitude and hope,
The OutChristian Board of Directors