Reclaiming Faith as a Queer Person

In this episode, Reverend Brandan Robertson joins Sunday School Dropouts for a deeply honest conversation about growing up queer in the church, surviving purity culture, and finding a faith that no longer requires self-erasure. Brandan shares his journey from a fundamentalist Baptist background through Moody Bible Institute, including repeated discipline for asking hard questions and his experience with conversion therapy, and how those moments ultimately pushed him toward a more expansive and life-giving theology.

Together, we talk about the so-called “clobber passages,” why they’ve been misused to police LGBTQ+ people, how purity culture damages everyone it touches, and what it means to experience a kind of second adolescence after leaving religious shame behind. Brandan also reflects on digital ministry, TikTok theology, and the real hope he sees in inclusive faith communities that are thriving even in unlikely places.

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Both of us grew up in high control religion and spent years trying to live up to the rules and standards until one day, we couldn’t do it anymore. We spent our lives aspiring to be true followers of God and all we got from it was religious trauma.

So now, we’re taking our lived experiences along with our education, training, and work with clients to create this podcast–a podcast that goes beyond deconstruction and focuses on the unique aspects healing and recovery for folks coming out of high control religions, cults, fundamentalism, purity culture and those with religious trauma.

Each episode we’ll be talking with other experts, mental health practitioners, coaches, advocates, therapists and folks who have survived fundamentalist systems, to learn from their experiences and offer resources and support for healing.

This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com

And before we get started, it’s important for you to know that: The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and REcovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.

We are not anti-religion but we are anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups.

We are two individuals using our academic backgrounds and training and personal experiences to provide a safe and supportive space for those recovering from fundamentalist groups and systems.

If you’re interested in finding a traumainformed practitioner, go to to schedule your free inquiry call with a practitioner of your choice.

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