A pair of Nashville churches is rallying around the gay and lesbian community this week in response to recent hostility.

Former Christian music artist Ray Boltz came out last month, and the hate mail came in. Police also are investigating a July shooting at a Knoxville church as a hate crime. The Unitarian-universalist church openly accepted gay men and lesbians.

To counter the aggression, Nashville’s 2nd Presbyterian Church and Holy Trinity Community Church are hosting a conference for gay Christians. Reverend Jim Kitchens says he sees the acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Christians as akin to the civil rights issues of the last century.

“Each step along that way – desegregation, women as pastors, full inclusion of GLBT folks in the life of a Christian congregation – have all required a new understanding, a new insight into the meaning of scripture.”

Dove Award winner Ray Boltz will perform Saturday night, his first concert in Nashville since coming out.

Many of the conference presenters are former members of Exodus International, a group that teaches participants to overcome unwanted same-sex attraction through prayer.

WEB EXTRA:

Previous WPLN coverage of Exodus International.