We gathered in protest because Eddie Fox has been a forceful voice admonishing the United Methodist Church to maintain its current positions on homosexuality—that “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” The UMC position denies non-celibate LGBT people ordination while refusing to bless their loving relationships, and forbids its clergy to officiate at same-sex weddings.
John Blevins
John Blevins is an Associate Research Professor in the Hubert Department of Global Health at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. He works in the Interfaith Health Program, a program that endeavors to understand the ways in which religion influences the health and wellness of communities both in the United States and around the world and to encourage efforts to mobilize religion as a positive force for public health. Much of John’s works focuses on religion in relation to sexuality and on religion in relation to HIV, both in the United States and in southern and eastern Africa. Currently, much of his work focuses on HIV prevention efforts in the informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya. John brings an interdisciplinary perspective to this work, having completed graduate studies in Christian theology and counseling psychology and having coordinated public health initiatives for over fifteen years.
