Years ago when Rev. J.J. Warren was a college student and traveled to preach in churches across Upstate NY, he made a promise to the good people of South Perinton UMC that when they became a reconciling congregation, it didn’t matter where he was, he would find a way to join them and celebrate this accomplishment. And so, years later Rev. J.J. will be flying back from Vienna, Austria, to join South Perinton UMC to celebrate!

Join Young Prophets Collective for discussion-based worship every Saturday at 9am PT/11am CT/12pm ET (U.S.) in our virtual church on Gather Town! This new faith community is still in the early stages of emerging and we’re specifically focused on providing a safe, LGBTQIAP+ led worship experience. If you or someone you know would benefit from a space like this, please contact us.

For more information on how to use Gather Town, click here.

Join Young Prophets Collective for discussion-based worship every Saturday at 9am PT/11am CT/12pm ET (U.S.) in our virtual church on Gather Town! This new faith community is still in the early stages of emerging and we’re specifically focused on providing a safe, LGBTQIAP+ led worship experience. If you or someone you know would benefit from a space like this, please contact us.

For more information on how to use Gather Town, click here.

Join Young Prophets Collective for discussion-based worship every Saturday at 9am PT/11am CT/12pm ET (U.S.) in our virtual church on Gather Town! This new faith community is still in the early stages of emerging and we’re specifically focused on providing a safe, LGBTQIAP+ led worship experience. If you or someone you know would benefit from a space like this, please contact us.

For more information on how to use Gather Town, click here.

Join Young Prophets Collective for discussion-based worship every Saturday at 9am PT/11am CT/12pm ET (U.S.) in our virtual church on Gather Town! This new faith community is still in the early stages of emerging and we’re specifically focused on providing a safe, LGBTQIAP+ led worship experience. If you or someone you know would benefit from a space like this, please contact us.

For more information on how to use Gather Town, click here.

Join J.J. for worship back at St. Francis in the Foothills UMC, followed by a brief book signing. More info and online service here: https://www.stfrancisinthefoothills.org/home

Join 300+ adult leaders from the community: nurses, physicians, pediatricians, educators, mental health professionals, multi-faith clergy, lawyers, politicians, researchers, and gay rights activists. Panel discussion of 5-6 community leaders to talk about what they have seen, share stories of the realities of moral injury for gay teens, and discuss what the challenges are for LGBTQ kids and care providers in Tucson and Arizona.

Attendees will be invited to join the Dare to Care Tucson Community Coalition, a coalition to stand in solidarity with LGBTQ teens, young adults, and their families - committing to safe and supportive emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual care despite future anti-gay legislation passed within Arizona. Parents are also invited to attend. Find moire info on their website: https://www.stfrancisinthefoothills.org/lgbtqia

Join me back at St. Francis in the Foothills UMC for a regional event with LGBTQ+ young people. Find more information at the website: https://www.stfrancisinthefoothills.org/lgbtqia

Join J.J. for worship at Community of Hope UMC in-person or online! Click here for more information: https://cohmuncie.org/

Join J.J. at Community of Hope UMC for a keynote presentation on the future of The UMC, followed by a panel discussion with reconciling leaders from around the area. There will be books available for purchase and signing. The time of this event may change. For more information, click here: https://cohmuncie.org/.

Join J.J. at Bozeman UMC for worship. For more information, click here: https://www.bozemanumc.org/.

If you’re attending the Mountain Sky Annual Conference, join the RMN team and J.J. for lunch and a discussion. Check back for more details.

Day two in the Albany area will feature a sermon by J.J. at Burnt Hills UMC, followed by Capitol Pride in Albany. Stop by Burnt Hill’s booth at Pride to say hi and get a signed copy of Reclaiming Church!

Join J.J. for an outdoor queer tent revival at Burnt Hills UMC in the Albany area! This event will feature a 30 minute keynote from J.J. about his hopes for future of The UMC as well as a panel discussion with local reconciling leaders on how to continue to make churches in the Albany area and Upper NY Conference more LGBTQ+ affirming and intersectional in our approach to justice. For more the live-stream link, click here: https://youtu.be/eeHNZPnMlY0.

Join J.J. at Davis UMC for service at 10 AM PT followed by a time of Question and Response. Copies of Reclaiming Church will be available for purchase and signing.

Join J.J. at St. Mark’s UMC in Sacramento, California, for an afternoon event featuring s keynote address from J.J. followed by a panel discussion on the future of the UMC with Revs. Elizabeth Brick, Motoe Yamada Foor, and Matthew Pearson. Copies of Reclaiming Church will be available for purchase and signing. Event start: 1:00 PT, 4:00 ET.

Join J.J. in Louisville, KY, for worship at 9:00 & 10:30 (10:30 will be live-streamed) at FCC Louisville. Then, stay for dinner and a seminar on his book, Reclaiming Church, from 5-7 PM. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Click here to learn more about FCC Louisville and to access their livestream.

Join J.J. in person or via live stream in Charlotte, NC! For more details and access to the livestream, visit the church’s website.

The Reclaiming Church circuit begins again, this time in the home of women’s rights—Seneca Falls, NY. Join J.J. & FUMC Seneca Falls for service at 10 AM followed by a Question and Response after the service.

This event will be completely virtual. Join us for worship on Sunday online!

Hosted by St. John’s UMC in Memphis, TN. Click here to register and read more!

Click Here to Register!

About this Event

Whether you're a young queer Christian like me, or someone who has endured decades of Church discrimination, or even someone who hears the word church and just knows deep within your bones that the institution can be better, this day is for you! No matter who we are, we all have ideas and theologies that have been part of our spiritual upbringings--concepts we take for granted that inform our relationship with the Divine, with each other, and with our true selves. It's time we deconstruct these harmful ideas and liberate each other--and the church itself--from a history of spiritual, emotional, and physical trauma.

Based on my new book, Reclaiming Church: A Call to Action for Religious Rejects, this Deconstruction Day will focus on:

1. Naming & deconstructing ideas about God

2. Naming & deconstructing mistranslations and misuses of the Bible

3. Naming & deconstructing our own spiritual/coming out stories

4. Using these tools to actively reclaim church

Whether or not you've read my book, this day will provide an accessible and challenging background for you to begin/continue your process of reclaiming your faith, identity, and church itself!

Join J.J. and St. Paul’s UMC in Helena, MT, for a keynote address about his new book, Reclaiming Church, and the role of reconciling churches as we await the postponed General Conference.

Join J.J. at Christ Church United Methodist in Denver, CO, for a Live Pride service!