REV. BRANDAN ROBERTSON

New York, New York 10019  

BRobertson@Drew.edu

 

EDUCATION

Drew University, Madison, NJ

Doctor of Philosophy in Religion, In Progress est. 2027

The Institute for Clinical Pastoral Training, Clermont, FL

Clinical Pastoral Education Unit 1, 2024

The University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

German for Reading and Translation, 2023

Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL

Master of Arts in Political Science and Public Administration, 2021

Iliff School of Theology, Denver, CO

Master of Theological Studies, 2017

 

Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, IL

Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Ministry & Biblical Studies, 2014

ORDINATION

Minister of Word and Sacrament in the United Church of Christ

Sunnyside Reformed Church. Queens, New York

October 28, 2024

Minister of Christ

Eastlake Community Church, Bothell, WA

November 2015

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

Sunnyside Reformed Church, Queens, NY

Pastor, 2023 - Present

Drew Theological School, Madison, NJ

Teaching Assistant, 2024-2025 (Course: Transforming Theologies)

       Doctor of Ministry Program Coordinator, 2022 – 2023

The Lakelands Institute, Washington, DC

       Faculty Member, 2021 – Present

The Bradbury Sullivan LGBTQ+ Community Center, Allentown, PA

       Faith Organizer, 2021

  

The Metanoia Community, New York, NY   

       Executive Director and Pastor, 2017 – 2022

The Human Rights Campaign, Washington, DC

       Religion and Faith Program Contractor, 2021

 

Disciples Seminary Foundation, Claremont, CA

       Virtual Course Instructor, 2018 – 2020

Missiongathering Christian Church, San Diego, CA

       Senior Pastor, 2017 – 2020

 

Auburn Seminary, New York, NY

       Program Facilitator, 2017 – 2020

 

San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Francisco, CA

       Program Advisor, 2016 – 2019

 

San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Francisco, CA  

       Millennial Engagement Consultant, 2014 – 2015  

 

Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, Denver, CO

       Interfaith Organizer, 2016 – 2017

  

Faith in Public Life, Washington, DC

       National Organizer, 2014 – 2015

 

Evangelicals for Marriage Equality, Washington, DC

       National Spokesperson and Program Director, 2014 – 2015 

 

BOOKS AND EDITED VOLUMES

  • A Higher Love: A Spiritual Guide to Finding Purpose in Troubled Times. New York: St. Martins Essentials, 2026

  • The Dark Side of White Christian Nationalism. Nashville: Quior Books, 2025 (Contributing Author)

  • Reading Romans Right. Nashville: Quior Books, 2025 (Foreword Author)

  • Queer and Christian: Reclaiming the Bible, Our Faith, and Our Place at the Table. New York: St. Martins Essentials, 2025

  • The Outreach Guide on the Bible and Homosexuality. Chicago: Paulist Press, 2025 (Contributing Author)

  • The Everyday Mystic. Nashville: Quior Books, 2024 (Contributing Author)

  • Who is Jesus?. Nashville: Quior Books, 2024 (Contributing Author)

  • Building Your Digital Sanctuary: An Introductory Guide to Effective Digital Ministry. Eugene: Cascade Books, 2023 (Editor)

  • Dry Bones and Holy Wars: A Call for Social and Spiritual Renewal. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2022  

  • Only Love: How Everything Was, Is, and Will Be. Nashville: Quior Books, 2021 (Foreword Author)

  • Filled to Be Emptied: The Path to Liberation for a Privileged People. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2022 

  • Nighttime Devotional for Teen Boys. New York: Rockridge Press, 2021

  • Upper Room Disciplines Devotional. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2021 (Contributing Author)

  • How to Heal Our Divides. Minneapolis: Write for Your Life, 2021 (Contributing Author)

  • The Deconstructionists Playbook. Philadelphia: Bemba Press, 2021 (Contributing Author)

  • El Evangelio De La Inclusión. Miami: JuanUno1 Publishing, 2021 (Spanish Translation)

  • Oneing: Liminal Space. Albuquerque: The Center for Action and Contemplation, 2021 (Contributing Author)

  • Strength in Faith: A 52 Week Devotional for Men. New York: Rockridge Press, 2020

  • Nomad: A Spirituality for Traveling Light. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2020 (Rerelease)

  • Rally: Litanies for Justice Workers. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2019 (Contributing Author)

  • The Preachers Guide to the Lectionary, Volume 2. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2019 (Contributing Author)

  • The Gospel of Inclusion: A Christian Case for LGBT+ Inclusion in The Church. Eugene: Cascade Books, 2019

  • True Inclusion: Becoming A Community of Radical Embrace. Indianapolis: Chalice Press, 2019

  • Our Witness: The Unheard Stories of LGBT+ Christians. Eugene: Cascade Books, 2018 (Editor)

  • Zwerven Met God. Amsterdam: Kok Publishers, 2017 (Dutch Translation)

  • Nomad: A Spirituality for Traveling Light. London: Darton, Longman, and Todd, 2016

  • Courage to be Queer. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2016 (Foreword Author)

  • Kissing in The Chapel, Praying in The Frat House. New York: Rowman and Littlefield, 2014 (Contributing Author)

SELECTED ESSAYS AND ARTICLES

  • “The Culpability of Conservatives in Queer Violence” Baptist News Global. Dallas: Baptist News Global, December 2022 

  • “The Bible does not condemn LGBTQ people”, Outreach Magazine. New York: America Magazine, October 2022

  • “Be not afraid: The encouragement of Revelation for our modern moment” Baptist News Global. Dallas: Baptist News Global, September 2022

  • “Digital Deception: How We Ended Up Here and What We Can Do to Save Ourselves” Patheos. “Politics Blue” Virginia Beach: Belief Net, January 2021

  • “Preparing for Life After Lockdown” The San Diego Union Tribune. San Diego: The San Diego Union Tribune, May 2020

  • “On The Threshold of Tomorrow” Oneing. “Liminal Space” edited by Richard Rohr. Albuquerque: The Center for Action and Contemplation, February 2020

  • “Contemplative Activism: The Path of Sacred Resistance” Ministry Matters. Nashville: Ministry Matters, November 2019

  • “Why Traditional Christianity Must Die” Progressing Spirit. Portland: Progressive Christianity, October 2018

  • “Conservative Politics Are Corrupting Evangelicalism” Time Magazine. New York: Time Magazine, March 2016

  • “I’m Queer and Still an Evangelical” The Washington Post. Washington: The Washington Post, February 2015

  • “Black Churches Are Burning and I am Responsible” Sojourners Magazine. Washington: Sojourners Magazine, July 2015

SELECTED INVITED PRESENTATIONS AND LECTURES

  • “Faith Communities and Queer Inclusion”. Union College, Schenectady, NY, October 2023

  • “Gay and Christian, No Contradiction.” TEDxLSSU, Salut Sainte Marie, MI, March 2023

  • “The New Christian Reformation.” St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN, February 2023

  • “Embracing True Inclusion in the Workplace.” AT&T Global, Atlanta, GA, October 2022   

  • “The Biblical Case for Queer Inclusion.” Eastern University, St. Davids, PA, March 2022

  • “Why the Equality Act Matters to People of Faith.” The Bradbury Sullivan LGBTQ+ Center, Allentown, PA, September 2021

  • “Filled to Be Emptied: A Path of Liberation for a Privileged People.” The Ammerdown Centre, Bath, England, September 2021

  • “The Spiritual Harm of Conversion Therapy.” The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, March 2021

  • “The Global Impact of Conversion Therapy.” The Global Commission on LGBTQ+ Dignity. Westminster Abbey, London, England, January 2021

  • “True Inclusion: Creating Intersectional Inclusive Communities.” Lady Margaret Hall of Oxford University, Oxford, England, February 2020

  • “Forward: The Biblical Trajectory Towards Inclusion.” We Are Church Ireland, Dublin, Ireland, February 2020

  • “The Winding Path of Vocation.” The University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, April 2019

  • “Uncovering A Queer Biblical Theology.” Eastern University, St. David’s, Pennsylvania, March 2019

  • “True Inclusion: Creating Communities of Radical Embrace.” Disciples Seminary Foundation, Claremont, CA, August 2018

  • “A Christian Case for LGBTQ+ Inclusion.” Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, November 2017

  • “A Christian Case for LGBTQ+ Inclusion.” The Queens College of Oxford University, Oxford, England. November 2017

  • “Nomad: A Spirituality for Traveling Light.” Wijdekerk, Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 2017

  • “Affirmation: A Call to Radical Inclusion within Evangelicalism.” The Parliament of the World’s Religions, Salt Lake City, UT, October 2017

  • “The Future of Integral Spirituality.” The Windemere Centre. The Annual Windemere Lecture. Toronto, Ontario, September 2017

  • “Deep and Wide: The Impact of Religiously Motivated Bullying on Queer Youth.” The Federal Summit on Bullying. The White House, Washington, DC, November 2016

  • “Queer God: LGBTQ+ Liberation Theology.” The University of Calgary, Calgary, Ontario, June 2016

  • “Creating an Inclusive Church.” San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Francisco, CA, April 2016

  • “Gay Christian vs. Biblical Christian.” The National Association of Religious Broadcasters Convention, Nashville, TN, October 2015

  • “A Witness to Equality.” Washington National Cathedral: “A Service to Honor Equality”, Washington, DC, July 2015

  • “Religious Liberty: What it Means and What’s at Stake.” Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, Georgia, March 2015

  • “An Interfaith Perspective on Inclusion.” The U.S. Peace Corps National Headquarters, Washington, DC, March 2015

 

BOARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

  • 2023 - Present, Patron, One Body, One Faith UK  

  • 2023 - 2024, Senior Digital Ministry Fellow, Convergence  

  • 2022 - 2024, Council of Reference, The Ozanne Foundation UK    

  • 2022- Present, Member, Society of Biblical Literature

  • 2022 - Present, Member, American Academy of Religion 

  • 2022 - Present, Member, American Marketing Association

  • 2021 - 2024, Associate Member, American Association of Political Consultants 

  • 2020 - Present, Fellow, The Salzburg Global Summit

  • 2020 - Present, Honorary Advisor, The Center for Progressive Christianity

  • 2019 - 2021, Founder & Co-Chair, Devout Interfaith Coalition of San Diego Pride

  •  2019 - Present, Founding Member, The Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives

  • 2017 - Present, Founding Member, The Union of Affirming Christian of Union Theological Seminary

  • 2017 - 2019, Advisor, STAND Magazine Editorial Board

  • 2015 - 2017, Working Group Member, United States Department of Health and Human Services

  • 2015 - 2017, Working Group Member, United States Department of State, Religion and Global Affairs

AWARDS & HONORS

  • 2024- Prophetic Leadership Award, LGBT+ Religious Archives Network

  • 2022- Tipple Fellowship, Drew University

  • 2017- Kaufman Fellowship, Iliff School of Theology