Coming Out Christian | Season 3, Episode 7 Guest: Rev. Dale Lykins

What happens when a pastor spends 30 years serving the church — and then realizes the church isn't serving the people it's meant to reach?

Rev. Dale Lykins gave more than three decades to United Methodist ministry before stepping away to found The Open Table, an inclusive and affirming community where people are welcomed exactly as they are. Around the same time, Dale came out as gay — and began a new chapter of authenticity, creativity, and connection through coaching, writing, podcasting, and his memoir Hush, Child.

In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with Dale to explore his journey from UMC pastor to founder of a new kind of faith community. They also have an honest and nuanced conversation about mixed-orientation marriages — what they are, how they can work, and what it looks like for couples navigating faith, identity, and commitment together when one partner comes out.

Honest, courageous, and full of grace — this is a conversation the church needs to have.

• 📖 Get Dale's memoir: Hush, Child
• 📝 Read The Unlearning Blog: theunlearningblog.substack.com
• 🌐 Visit Dale's website: dalelykins.com
• 📲 Follow Dale: dale.lykins (Facebook) | @wdlykins (Instagram & TikTok)
• 🎧 Listen to Dale's podcast, "Hear it From Me," on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
• 🎙️ Follow "Coming Out Christian" on Instagram: @comingoutchristian_podcast
• 🌈 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly

Coming Out Christian | Season 3, Episode 6 | Guest: Rev. Jim Keat

What does it mean to use the internet for good — and what does faith look like in a digital world?

Rev. Jim Keat is the Minister of Digital Worship & Education at The Riverside Church in New York City and Director of Online Innovation at the Convergence Network, where he creates original content, cultivates online faith communities, and equips progressive faith leaders to use digital ministry well. His projects include Bible in a Minute, The Word Made Fresh, Sermon on the Runs, and more.

In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with Jim to explore what digital ministry looks like in 2026 and why it matters more than ever. They dig into Bible in a Minute, Jim's current big project, and talk about how Jim became an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community — and how he's intentionally raising his sons to be allies too. And because Siobhan and Jim share a love of running, that comes up too.

Warm, visionary, and practically inspiring — this one is for anyone who's ever wondered if the church can meet people where they actually are.

• 💻 Visit Jim's website: jimkeat.com
• 📲 Follow Jim: @RevJimRuns (TikTok, YouTube & Instagram) | @JimKeat on Substack
• 📖 Follow Bible in a Minute: @bibleinamin
• 🎙️ Follow the podcast: @comingoutchristian_podcast
• 🌈 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly

Coming Out Christian | Season 3, Episode 5 | Guest: Rev. Benjamin Perry

When's the last time you let yourself cry — and what did you do with it?

Rev. Benjamin Perry is an ordained minister, award-winning writer, and the author of Cry, Baby: Why Our Tears Matter. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Slate, and Religion News Service, and he's been featured by the BBC, TIME, NPR, and 10 Percent Happier. Based in Maine, they serve on the board of OUTMaine, offer queer theology trainings in local congregations, and serve as Director of Communications at Garrett Seminary.

In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with Ben to explore what our tears have to tell us — about grief, masculinity, embodiment, and what it means to be fully human. They also dig into the church's complicated relationship with LGBTQIA+ people: where it falls short, where it gets it right, and what it might look like to truly celebrate queer lives rather than merely tolerate them.

Tender, honest, and unexpectedly joyful — this one will stay with you.

• 📚 Get the book: Cry, Baby
• 🌐 Visit Ben's website: benjaminjperry.com
• 📲 Follow Ben: @FaithfullyBP
• 🎙️ Follow the podcast: @comingoutchristian_podcast
• 🌈 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly

Coming Out Christian | Season 3, Episode 4 Guest: David Hayward, The NakedPastor

What do you do when the institution you've given your life to no longer has room for who you're becoming?

David Hayward — known online as The NakedPastor — spent nearly 30 years in ministry before leaving the church in 2010 and stepping into a new kind of calling: using his work as a cartoonist, artist, and writer to challenge religious control and inspire authenticity, equality, and spiritual independence. As an LGBTQ+ ally, feminist, and progressive voice for people deconstructing faith, David has built a community of people reclaiming their own spiritual paths on their own terms.

In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with David to explore what it looks like to walk away from ministry after three decades — and what it means to find freedom on the other side. It's an honest, searching conversation about deconstruction, creativity, and what happens when you stop performing faith and start living it.

• 🎨 Follow David: @nakedpastor
• 🌐 Visit his website: nakedpastor.com
• 🤝 Explore The Lasting Supper: thelastingsupper.com
• 📲 Follow the podcast: @comingoutchristian_podcast
• 🌈 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly

Coming Out Christian | Season 3, Episode 3 Guest: Rev. Charles Graves, IV

The church has made progress on LGBTQIA+ inclusion — but what happens when the conversation goes deeper than who's welcome at the table?

Rev. Charles Graves, IV is the Fourteenth Rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a seventh-generation Episcopalian, and a member of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church since 2019. He's also the creator of a denominational task force asking some of the most pressing questions in progressive Christianity today: How does the church understand and respond to household and relationship diversity — including polyamory? And how do we construct a sexual ethics that is both expansive and protective?

In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with Charles to explore his journey in The Episcopal Church and the LGBTQIA+ inclusion work he's championed along the way. They also dig into the harder, more nuanced conversation about how the church builds new frameworks for sexual ethics — ones that make room for the full complexity of human relationships without abandoning the guardrails that protect and heal.

Thoughtful, prophetic, and ahead of the curve — this is the conversation the church is just beginning to have.

• ⛪ Follow Christ Church Shaker: @christchurchshaker (Instagram)
• 🌐 Visit the church website: cometochristchurch.org
• 🎙️ Follow the podcast: @comingoutchristian_podcast (Instagram)
• 🌈 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly (Instagram and TikTok)

Coming Out Christian | Season 3, Episode 2

Guest: Rev. Tim Kobler

What do tattoos, beekeeping, and campus ministry have in common? More than you might think — and the Rev. Tim Kobler is here to connect the dots.

Tim is the Director of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Michigan, where he has served since 2018. With 33 years in full-time ministry and 24 years focused specifically on campus ministry, Tim brings a wealth of experience supporting young people as they navigate faith, identity, and community in higher education.

In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with Tim to explore what faith looks like on college campuses today — and the conversation goes places you might not expect. Tim shares about Sacred Ink, his traveling photo exhibition that explores the intersection of spirituality and tattoo art, inviting people to consider how we quite literally wear our sacred stories on our bodies. He also talks about his 26 years as a beekeeper and what tending hives has taught him about life and faith.

This one is wide-ranging, warm, and full of surprises — a perfect listen for a long commute or a quiet afternoon.

📲 Follow the podcast: @comingoutchristian_podcast

🌈 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly

🐝 Follow Tim: @timkobler

🖼️ Explore Sacred Ink: sacredink.art

Season 3, Episode 1 Guest: Karen Hewitt

What happens when a pastor's kid raised in the Pentecostal church begins to ask bigger questions about faith, identity, belonging, and what it means to truly be seen?

Karen Hewitt is a catalyst for connection, belonging, and transformation, centering Black and queer wisdom in their work as a leadership developer, culture builder, community organizer, and multidisciplinary artist. They are the Founder of K Hewitt Consulting and The Culture of You, Co-Founder of The Ohio REST Collective, and an executive leader in the nonprofit space — and as it turns out, a comedian with a passion for performance.

In this episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp sit down with Karen to explore their journey from Pentecostal PK to someone who has expansively explored a range of spiritual practices. The conversation is rich, wide-ranging, and deeply human — touching on the power of storytelling, the wisdom found in unexpected places, and what it looks like to build communities where people genuinely feel safe, valued, and seen.

Bring your whole self to this one. You won't regret it.

You can find Karen on social media at

• Instagram - @thecultureofyou
• Facebook - K Hewitt Consulting
• TikTok - @KarenMarie2121
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@cultureofyou8728

Remember to like, follow, and checkout LOVEboldly and Coming Out Christian:

• Instagram - @comingoutchristian_podcast @loveboldly
• www.loveboldly.org

Coming Out Christian | Season 1, Episode 1 (Re-Release) "A Coincidental Easter"

One year ago, two hosts, a microphone, and a coincidence of calendars launched something none of us knew we needed.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Coming Out Christian, we're re-releasing the episode that started it all. In this inaugural episode, hosts Siobhan Boyd-Nelson and Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp introduce themselves, the podcast, and what they hoped it might become — a space for LGBTQIA+ Christians and allies to share their stories, wrestle with their faith, and find community along the way.

Oh, and it just so happened that when this episode first dropped, Western and Eastern Easter both fell on the same day — and Easter itself landed on April 20. A coincidence? Maybe. A sign? You decide.

Whether you've been with us from the beginning or you're just finding us now, this is a wonderful place to start.

"Queerie of the Day: What is your favorite food that you associate with Easter?"

• 🌐 Learn more about LOVEboldly: loveboldly.org
• 📲 Follow LOVEboldly: @loveboldly (Instagram) | @2loveboldly (Facebook & TikTok)
• 🎙️ Follow the podcast: @comingoutchristian_podcast
• 🌐 Visit Ben's website: benhuelskamp.com
• 📲 Follow Ben: @drbenhuelskamp
• 📲 Follow Siobhan: @rhymeswithlesbian
• 🎵 Music by Shay Nelson: @shaytheserialhobbyist