Cedar Rapids couple opens LGBT-affirming church

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Rev. Tony White and his partner, Scott Niskanen, know what it's like to be turned away from the church, and from those leading a Christian life.

'There are some hateful people out there, and some of those hateful people are behind the doors of the church,” White said.

That's why White, a former truck driver, and Niskanen, a retired music teacher, started Showers of Blessings Pentecostal Church, open to anyone but with a specific aim of letting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community know 'they are loved,” White said.

'The other night I preached - and this really is the foundation of Showers of Blessings - about John 3:16: ‘That God so loved the world, that he have his only begotten son Jesus Christ, so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,'” White said. 'I am a ‘whosoever.' We are all, ‘whosoevers.'”

The church is part of a growing denomination, the Affirming Pentecostal Church, International, and Apostolic Pentecostal denomination founded in Indiana in 2010. Unlike most other Apostolic churches, APCI is LGBT-affirming. Their doctrine, however, follows the same beliefs as most other Apostolic Pentecostal churches.

Showers of Blessings still is new. Services are still held in White and Niskanen's living room, and the congregation size at its peak thus far is 9. White presides over the service and Niskanen serves as music director.

White and Niskanen want to grow their church and find a more permanent location, but because of some of the negative feelings about the LGBT community and church, their address is listed publicly only as a post office box. They hope those interested in attending will find their website, www.showersofblessingspc.com, and use the 'Contact Us” feature, or will email White at pastortony1999@gmail.com.

They know it's difficult, but it's all they can do for now.

'We know there are haters out there, we know there are. And we don't want anyone who comes to church to have to worry about that,” White said.

'Our church is made up of hurting people who want to come together to stop the hurt,” he said. 'We're taking that hurt in the very place they've been hurt - the church - and saying, ‘It's OK, God loves you.'”

Both White and Niskanen served in the military at a time when, 'Don't ask, don't tell” was commonplace. The church isn't so different, they said.

'It's the ecclesiastical version of, ‘Don't ask, don't tell,'” Niskanen said.

He said he served as music director for several churches through the years, but had to hide his sexual orientation at each one.

'It's like they're telling you, ‘We can take your tithes, let you serve the church, as long as you stay in the closet,'” Niskanen said.

It's that sentiment White said he wants to get away from.

'You can't hide behind something and be a true portrayer of God,” he said. 'We are a church where unconditional love is our outreach.”