At the Pentecostal Church where Yvette Flunder grew up in, she recalls pastors and church leaders who were tender and kind and understanding. That is, until one topic came up — that of homosexuality. Flunder herself was, as she calls it, “a same-gender-loving-woman,” and the prejudice drove her out of her church. But she didn’t leave her religion. Instead, she went on to become a pastor — today, she is Bishop Yvette Flunder of the City of Refuge United Church of Christ in Oakland. It’s a space she founded 25 years ago to be a church that’s culturally Black, and radically inclusive. In this interview with Spiritual Edge contributor Hana Baba, Flunder talks more about why she felt the City of Refuge was desperately needed for the LGBTQ community.
To hear the City of Refuge feature story that aired on KALW, listen here.
