Revd. Andy Marshall, the Chaplin of the
University of Portsmouth, is today a pro-
equality advocate, vocal supporter of the Equal
Marriage campaign and has spoken at many
LGBT events. However, like many people
who are drawn to Christianity, his journey to
becoming at ease with his sexuality and his
faith was not an easy one.
“I was born in Zimbabwe, and grew up in
South Africa. I became a Christian in the
Anglican church at the age of 17, and felt
called to the ministry soon thereafter. What
brought me to faith was the message of
unconditional love and the strong sense of
community and love I saw. I worked first as a
missionary youth worker, in both extremely
wealthy and impoverished communities, with
children from a wide range of religious and
cultural backgrounds.
After that, I worked as a Youth Pastor in my
home town for a number of years, and was then
proposed for ordination to the priesthood, and
my theological and ministry training began.
I served my curacy in a culturally diverse
suburban parish, and then worked in a large
suburban parish, before moving to the UK in
2002. In the UK, I’ve been a parish priest, and
am currently a university chaplain.
I had known from a young age that I was
gay, and I gradually became aware that
homosexuality was frowned upon in my
newfound faith, but I prayed it was a phase.
After years of struggling in secret, something
called “reparative therapy” came to town.
Finally, someone was not only speaking about
homosexuality in a faith context, but also
offered healing. I attended weekly sessions
on that reparative therapy course for a period
of 2 years, and also went to see a Christian
counsellor every week.
Those who have survived reparative therapy
will know how damaging and dangerous it
is …I was told that my identity was broken,
and that I had to gradually strip away my
identity and relearn a new identity, using their
teaching. At the same time, the counsellor
blamed my family, and told me that I should
cut ties with them. For two years I stripped
away at my identity without the support of my
family, and desperately prayed for healing.
Acceptance,
integrity and
inclusion:
Practicing faith
as a gay man
spring 2015
22
