Brandon Flanery is an ex-pastor, ex-missionary, and ex-evangelical who writes about the tenuous intersection of faith and sexuality. He’s conducted research on the consequences of beliefs and why people are leaving Christianity. His writings are featured in The Scribe, Baptist News Global, the University of Colorado, and the Colorado Springs Indy, and his debut book, Stumbling: A Sassy Memoir about Coming Out of Evangelicalism, premiered August 2023. In addition to being a writer, Flanery co-founded the LGBTQ Christian dating app, believr.In this conversation, Kari and Brandon discuss Brandon’s experiences with high control religion and the intersection of faith and sexuality. He shares his background in evangelical non-denominational megachurch culture and the impact it had on his identity as a gay person. Brandon reflects on the control and manipulation he experienced within these religious organizations and how it affected his sense of agency. He also explores his journey of discovering his desires and wants, and how he has found freedom in exploring different spiritual beliefs and practices. He also highlights the teachings of gender and sexuality and the need to befriend and embrace one's own sexuality. You can buy Brandon’s book, explore his writings, and find all social media handles at BrandonFlanery.com. Follow him on Instagram and TikTok @flanbran.Your Friend, The Therapist is hosted and produced by Kari Fillian. You can follow the show on Instagram at @yourfriendthetherapistpod. Subscribe to my Substack for more musings: https://yourfriendthetherapist.substack.com/You can listen to the show on Substack, Spotify & Apple Podcasts.This podcast is free to listen to and download. If you'd like to support my work in creating this podcast, you are welcome to make a donation via PayPal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yourfriendthetherapist.substack.com

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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