FORT COLLINS, Colo. — In the peripheral, the brick walls and wooden cross of the MCC Family in Christ Church look ordinary, blending seamlessly into other local denominations.

Despite its appearance, the Church has thrown aside conservative theology, focusing on challenging stereotypes and fostering acceptance.

At the helm of it all is Reverend John Case, A pastor devoted to empowering the LGBTQ+ community through his sermons and initiatives.

While Reverend Case has always had a unique perspective on faith, he has faced trials and tribulations to determine his stance as an advocate.

“I wound up being a Minister with a very conservative church,” John Case said. “But I didn’t really fit in there — I didn’t believe The conservative side of it, you know, but the God and everything, I could accept.

While Case was learning to coexist as a pastor within a conservative church, he soon received news that his son was gay. The church told Case’s son that he could either “go back in the closet or Leave the church.”

What ensued after would reshape the course of Case’s entire life.

“Finally, I cornered [my son] one day and said, what are you Going to do?” Case said as he perked up and began to lean slightly closer. “‘Well, I want to fight it,’ he said. ‘Okay, are you going to win?’ I asked him — As we both know, that’s probably not going to happen. So why don’t you save your emotional strength? Let Dad fight this one out, and I’ve been fighting ever since.” 

Undeterred by the ultimatum handed to his son, Case had to work out how to support him best.

“My wife and I got involved with Pflag,” Case said. “[The ministry] responded, ‘P flags is an enemy to the church,’ Two weeks later, I sent them my resignation.”

This incident would shape the course of Case’s ministry into an unwavering force for change, determined to reconcile his faith with unconditional love. 

Soon after, Case was invited to join the Board of PFLAG in Fort Collins, an organization “dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families.”

Through his work at PFLAG, Case helped institute Northern Colorado’s first Pride Event. As he sat at the event, surrounded by love and inclusion, he questioned his ideals further.

“How is it that I can wake up and feel so comfortable and so safe among people that I’m supposed to be afraid of? Case said. “From that point on, I said the people with love are the ones I’m supposed to be afraid of — Instead of the ones that want me to be afraid. That got me from wanting to support to, have to, is probably the right terminology.”

Determined to make Fort Collins a pillar of inclusivity, Case joined the board of the Lamda Community Center. Despite his efforts, he had yet to see strides in social justice within the church. This led Case to become a Pastor at MCC Family in Christ Church in Fort Collins.

His views of Christianity differ markedly from traditional conservative teachings, embracing a theology centered on love, acceptance, and breaking down barriers of prejudice.

“I like to push people to the point of Christianity is nice, but it’s not total — It’s a single approach to a cosmic reality, Case said, “The cosmos, both visible and invisible, beyond our comprehension is about as close as we can get to defining God. Is there gender there? Only if you reflect your own gender on it.”

Although MCC Family in Christ Church in Fort Collins accepts all who enter its doors, many people are still skeptical of the church and Christianity because of the harm it has caused the LGBTQ+ community.

“I’ve seen many of my friends hurt by the church,” said MSU senior Sydney Schmelzer, who also happens to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community. “I would say that more than half of the gay people I know have felt isolated or attacked by the church because of their sexual preference or sexuality.”

Although he has tirelessly worked on making his denomination a safe and inclusive space, Case still struggles to fight the reasonable stigma of the church in its association with the LGBTQ+ community. 

“When we’re talking about the church, there’s too many people that have been impacted, an awful lot in their youth,” Case said. “The verbiage of what is truth is probably one of the most difficult to understand and most damaging things that we teach our children — You’re really not helping them understand that their world is going to change. The more you learn, the more you’re going to see the old rules aren’t as solid as they were initially presented.” 

As Reverend Case continues to inspire many with his compassion and wisdom, he will always strive to do more and listen to those who need it.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself because someone else is hard on you,” Case said. “Look at what you can do, do it well, and be proud of it — and if you need help, ask for it and find the people who will listen.”