New OS LogoOther Sheep in Southeast Asia, June 28 - August 30, 2009 

Steve Parelli and Jose Ortiz visiting Nepal, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia 

 

Introducing Rev., Dr. Kenneth Dobson of Thailand
IN THIS ISSUE
Meet Rev., Dr. Kenneth Dobson
The Thai Village Gay Way
What's a Gay Christian to Do?
One Gospel, One Church
Meet Rev., Dr. Kenneth Dobson
by Steve Parelli, Singapore, August 6, 2009.
 
Rev., Dr. Kenneth Dobson, a Presbyterian minister and missionary, lives in Thailand where he has, since the 1960s, spent most of his adult life.   
 
Dr. Kenneth Dobson, formerly married, has two children, a son-in-law and grandchildren.  He keeps in close touch with his family and former wife.
 
Presently, Dr. Dobson works in the Office of the President of Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.  With Pramote, his Thai partner of ten years, Dr. Dobson lives in a small village southwest of Chiang Mai.
 
 
Note:  You can find the link to Kenneth Dobson on the home page of Other Sheep.
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"Here I am on the cusp of seventy years of age . . . a Presbyterian pastor and missionary" ministering to fifty or sixty "queers and queens" in "this northern Thai village context."
Rev., Dr. Kenneth Dobson, photo at right
Ken Dobson headshot 
Lands around Ken's home
Above Photo:  Northern Thailand, home of Kenneth Dobson and his partner  Photo taken July 18, 2009, by Steve Parelli
Dear Other Sheep Friend, 

In this special issue of Other Sheep eNews, Jose and I enthusiastically introduce you to Rev., Dr. Kenneth Dobson, an out gay Presbyterian missionary in Thailand whom we met for the first time while presenting Other Sheep in northern Thailand, July, 2009.  Below, with his permission, we have published excerpts from three recent articles he has authored with links to each article in full:  "The Thai Village Gay Way," "What's a Gay Christian to Do?" and "One Gospel, One Church."
 
Please forward this eNews to your friends . . . especially Presbyterian clergy and lay people.
 
Rev. Steve Parelli, MDiv., MCC Clergy
Other Sheep Executive Director
 
Singapore, Singapore
August 5, 2009
 
"The Thai Village Gay Way"
by Rev., Dr. Kenneth Dobson, Chiang Mai, Thailand
 
"Nothing and everything prepared me for this ministry at this point of my life. Nothing in my background even hinted that I could develop an affinity for this range of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people. I was an Illinois farm boy and I suspect I don't have to explain how little positive regard for queers and queens I grew up with. And yet here I am on the cusp of seventy years of age with a group of fifty or sixty of them in free flow, coming and going, appearing and disappearing, and I feel this is the very thing all my life has been preparing me for."
 
"What's a Gay Christian to Do?"
by Rev., Dr. Kenneth Dobson, Chiang Mai, Thailand
 
This excellent summary-article looks at the traditional Bible passages used against LGBT people of faith as well as the passages that may be considered to affirm us as LGBT people of faith.
 
Introduction to Article: "The problem that we gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) Christians have in the Church these days is that we are told we are wrong to be the way we are. We will have to do something about the way we are in order to conform to the Church's theological standards. But most of us have been through that. We have done our level best to change and it was the wrong thing to try to do. Incredible as it first seemed, the thing that actually has to happen is that the majority Church, the traditional thinkers who are stuck in their thinking and "change challenged" will have to change.  And the first thing that has to change for Protestants is theology."
 
"One Gospel, One Church"
by Rev., Dr., Kenneth Dobson, Chiang Mail, Thailand
 
Excerpt: "Almost all of our denominations which have had any acceptance or recognition of we who are GLBT members have been rent or are being ripped by dissent over this issue, which is not about the Gospel. There is only one way to contend that this debate is about the Gospel and that is to add to the Gospel and turn it into gospel-plus.  This enriched gospel is not the Gospel . . . I woke up the other morning realizing that is what is happening. The churches in the Church are crossing the Rubicon (or the Jordan) one after another onto the side which says, "Our unity in Christ is not only a unity in the Gospel but also in acceptable response to the Gospel."
 
Other Sheep is an multi-cultural, ecumencial Christian ministry that works worldwide for the full inclusion of LGBT people of faith within their respective faith traditions.
 
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