Halfway There

177: Ty Wyss and the Kindness of God

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Ty Wyss is the Founder and Executive Director of Walls Down Ministry. Today, Ty shares how he discovered early that he was same-sex attracted, a place to belong in the gay community, and finding Jesus after a night of clubbing. When he finally felt God’s kindness toward him, Ty began to trust God with his life and sexuality. He vowed never to pretend to be something he wasn’t again. Walls Down Ministry serves as a bridge between the LGBTQ+ community and the church by  helping them become “competent caregivers and disciple-makers for the LGBT and same-sex attracted people” around them. Ty’s story teaches us that God loves everyone and offers a path forward for conversation between two historically divided communities. I’m so glad he shared his story.
Listen to Ty’s story now!
Stories Ty shared:
  • Growing up in the cornfields of Ohio and a typical Midwestern family
  • Realizing at 12 that he was same sex attracted
  • Experiencing sexual abuse from 9-15
  • Coming out to his friends and family at 17
  • Escaping to Columbus, Ohio to find a gay community
  • Enjoying community but feeling empty inside
  • Driving an hour to go to church on a Sunday Morning after clubbing the night before
  • How the Holy Spirit wooed him
  • Joining a discipleship group and learning to walk with God
  • Meeting his wife at camp and how they got together
  • Losing their second born son during birth
  • Experiencing God accepting his anger
  • Starting Walls Down Ministry and how he serves as a bridge between the LGBTQ+ community and the church.

    • Great quotes from Ty:

    I don’t think there’s recipe for a gay person.

    I came out on Thursday and my parents went to church on Sunday.

    Doctrine doesn’t heal people. Community heals people.

    I was an openly gay man and a closet Christian.

    I did not feel like a prime candidate for the love of God.

    If you use any weapon, it has to be kindness.

    Resources we mentioned:

    • Walls Down Ministry

    Related episodes:

    • Mary DeMuth and the Safest Place for Sexual Abuse Survivors
  • Patrick Meyers and the Kind Initiator
  • Billy Hallowell is Building Cultural Bridges

    • The post Ty Wyss and the Kindness of God appeared first on Eric Nevins.

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    Halfway ThereBy Eric Nevins
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