FERNDALE – Reverend Roland Stringfellow, pastor of Metropolitan Community Church-Detroit for the past two years, will soon be adding the word "doctor" to his title. On May 22, he will graduate from the Pacific School of Religion with a doctorate degree in ministry.
"I wanted to pursue this degree in order to expand my knowledge on LGBT theology and how current political issues, such as the fight for marriage equality and challenging harmful religious liberty laws, have used religion as a tactic for discrimination," Stringfellow said.
The aftermath to the Supreme Court decision on marriage equality, said Stringfellow, made earning this degree extremely timely.
"Many people realize that at the center of the opposition to LGBT equality has been the religious convictions of people," he said. "This degree will allow me to continue to help LGBT people and our allies recover from the spiritual violence of condemnation, as well as challenge the misinterpretations of religious text when they have been used as weapons.
"Spiritual violence occurs when people inflict harm — intentional or not — toward others in the name of practicing their religion," Stringfellow continued.
The title of the popular minister's doctoral thesis is "Liberating Religious Liberty."
"I examined the history of 'religious liberty' in the United States and its importance to protect religious minorities," Stringfellow explained. "However, as we have seen in states such as Indiana, North Carolina, Mississippi and Michigan, to name a few, religious and political conservatives have claimed this 'religious minority' status to say they have been harmed by the advancement of LGBT equality. Yet this is a way they deny LGBT people their liberties. Thus we get lost in issues such as 'bathroom bills' against transgender individuals that mask bigotry in the name of religion. My thesis offers many strategies on how to engage communities to create dialogues with people who believe their religious convictions allow them the right to deny services to people they disagree with."
Stringfellow said he is now considering writing a book based on his thesis.
"The thesis itself is 240 pages and a book unto itself," he said. "Based upon my research and writing, I actually want to use a website (www.religiouslibertyforall.org) to help those searching for ways to organize a challenge to religious liberty laws so they can easily access this information. I have also organized public forums nationwide to discuss this issue of 'Liberating Religious Liberty' with progressive religious leaders."
Having been involved in the fight for LGBT equality for many years, Stringfellow is intimately aware of the tricks frequently played by the religious right.
"I saw how conservatives had been laying the groundwork to challenge these new laws by using a page from their old playbook of 'religious conviction' as a way of resisting the high court's decision," he said. "We have seen this tactic used to deny liberties to African-Americans, women and others who they have disagreed with. I was frustrated with how religion is constantly co-opted by people — both conservatives and liberals — to justify their dislikes against those they disagree with. As a pastor, I care about how people are mistreated by religion and I want to help create healing and reconciliation for those who have been harmed. It is my hope this thesis will aid with this."
And now that it's completed, Stringfellow said he hopes he is done with school.
"This is my fifth degree — an undergraduate, three masters' and now the doctorate — and I do hope I am finished with school as a student. However, as a life-long learner, I would not mind teaching in addition to my role as pastor to help students in theological study understand how religious texts are meant to create life, not to cause alienation and death. I especially believe this is vital for LGBT populations who have been alienated by religious communities."
