Courage to love

Barry and Will met in 1985 at the beginning of their first semester at Union Theological Seminary, where Barry wanted to prepare for the priesthood and Will was seeking answers to life's questions. What did Barry and Will do to spark only the second heresy trial in over two centuries of the Episcopal Church? In Courage to Love, Will Leckie and Barry Stopfel share their compelling and inspiring story. They take us behind the frontpage news and into their hearts and minds as the volatile mix of religion and human sexuality turns their lives upside down. All along, Barry longed to be a priest who lived out his Christian faith with honesty and integrity. Yet there were invisible barriers to ordaining an openly gay priest. Unable to forsake his divine calling, and unwilling to return to the homophobic closet, Barry forged ahead into uncharted waters that tested his faith, his love for and relationship with Will, his Church's unity, and society's tolerance of "queers.". Courage to Love brings us close to the authors' pain, exposes the problems the Church must face, and inspires society to seek a better way. The issues may be unavoidable, but the love of these two men for each other, for their Church, and for their enemies is a model for healing and hope.