Making the decision in 2015 to tell his congregation that he was gay was even more daunting and at times agonizing for him.
“He used derogatory language and slurs to refer to them, labeling them as a despicable and immoral group. It was clear to me that he was referring to people like me,” Crowley shared in an interview. “That incident was a defining moment for me, as it made me truly appreciate the beauty and authenticity of my identity as a queer individual.”
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Crowley’s great grandmother reassured him multiple times that he was created in God’s image. She also shared her own experience of becoming pregnant at the age of 14 and how she bravely stood up against her church, refusing to apologize to the congregation.
Crowley vividly remembers the profound words spoken by the woman. “She would tell me, ‘God loves you,'” Crowley recounted. “She shared how she had faced immense challenges during her pregnancy, to the point where she contemplated taking her own life. However, she found solace in a higher power, a God beyond the confines of organized religion. She learned to look beyond the teachings of preachers and found a deeper understanding.”
During this time, Crowley had a strong conviction that his calling was to become a Christian pastor, specifically a preacher of the social justice gospel.
He started dating a girl at Lovejoy, believing that he had to conceal his sexual identity in order to follow his calling.
During his time at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he enrolled in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Assistants program, he had not yet come out. It was during this period that he had his first significant romantic relationship with another young man. However, he chose to keep the nature of this relationship a secret from his family, leading them to believe it was merely a non-romantic friendship.
After completing his studies at Morehouse, Crowley received an acceptance letter from Harvard Divinity School. At that crossroads, he contemplated deviating from his aspiration of becoming a preacher and instead, delving into writing books about the demise of the Black church.
However, one of his friends, who strongly believed in Crowley’s spiritual abilities, urged him to consider applying for the vacant pastorate position at Myrtle Baptist, which happened to be less than 10 miles away from the divinity school.
Crowley mentioned that shortly after showing his interest, he was informed that he was precisely what the search committee of Myrtle was looking for. Reflecting on his initial response, he expressed, “I was thinking, ‘What are they talking about? I mean, I’m gay! This doesn’t seem possible.'”
Despite attending a Gay Pride party in Miami, he made the effort to return to Boston in time to preach at a service attended by the search committee, showcasing his dedication to the job.
Crowley soon became a finalist, and his mentors were divided on whether he should disclose his sexuality to the leaders of Myrtle or remain silent while performing his duties as a preacher. He opted for the latter option and continued to serve as Myrtle’s senior pastor for six years after being elected in 2009.
As time went on, Crowley came to the realization that he could only truly carry out God’s work by being genuinely authentic.
During one of his guest preaching sessions, Crowley had a serendipitous encounter with Tyrone Sutton, who would later become his partner for three years. Sutton was playing the organ at the church when they first met. As their connection deepened, they discovered their shared passion for music and enjoyed singing and playing together during their early dates.
Throughout his life, Crowley claimed to have heard a voice that he believed to be the spirit of God. According to him, the voice initially expressed approval of his same-sex attraction when he was a child in 1993. This happened after he was criticized by a relative for commenting that a male character on a sitcom was attractive.
According to a relative, the statement “God doesn’t like that” was made in response to Crowley’s homosexuality. However, Crowley himself remembers hearing a voice that assured him that God had created him in this way. This voice resurfaced when he was 12 years old, calling him to a life in ministry. As an adult, he relied on this inner voice to navigate the difficult emotions that came with ending a relationship with a girlfriend after revealing his homosexuality.
In private, all of those occasions took place. However, in the spring of 2015, Crowley recounts sitting in Myrtle’s pulpit one Sunday when he heard a voice speaking to him, urging him to come out.
“I thought you were insane! They’re going to kick me out,” Crowley remembers saying to the voice that was encouraging him to reveal the truth.
Minutes later, Crowley made a tearful announcement to his congregation: “I am a proud, Black, gay Christian male.”
“We were just waiting on you,” one church mother confidently told the reverend, expressing the sentiment shared by the congregation.
After the announcement, a few members of the congregation made the decision to leave Myrtle. However, the majority of the congregation showed unwavering support for the pastor. The church saw an influx of new members, many of whom identified as gay. This surge in support empowered Crowley to expand his focus beyond Newton and challenge the traditional beliefs of the wider Black Church community.
In 2020, Oxford Press published his debut book titled “Queering the Black Church: Dismantling Heteronormativity in the African American Church.”
In his book, Crowley recalls a long history of Black Christian preaching that frequently included homophobic rants and sweeping condemnations of homosexuality as a sinful act. He highlights the efforts of the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Sr. who vehemently opposed homosexuality during his tenure as the leader of New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church from 1908 to 1936, which was widely regarded as one of the most influential Black churches in the nation.
Myrtle, a church with a rich history of 150 years, is known for its progressive and inclusive community. However, it is important to note that while Myrtle embraces diversity, there are still several Black churches and denominations in the United States that do not support same-sex marriages or the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy.
According to the Rev. Karmen Michael Smith, author of “Holy Queer” and a frequent lecturer on the subject, he is not as hopeful as Crowley that Black churches can become “queered.” Smith emphasizes that Black churches can be a source of trauma and exclusion for many LGBTQ+ individuals.
Smith confidently stated that those individuals would not be returning.
The topic continues to be a sensitive one for certain groups. One such example is the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which is set to vote on a proposal during its upcoming national meeting. This proposal aims to grant AME pastors the authority to officiate same-sex marriages.
While serving as a pastor at Myrtle, Crowley pursued and successfully obtained a Ph.D. from Boston University’s School of Theology. In addition to his passion for preaching, he aspires to become a professor, aiming to make a difference in the lives of his Queer and Black communities through both spiritual and scholarly endeavors.
The Rev. Martha Simmons, a renowned figure in the world of Black preaching and the founder of the advocacy group Women of Color in Ministry, took on the role of mentor for Crowley following her guest appearance at Morehouse. In her extensive career, she has had the opportunity to engage with numerous students, and she affirms that Crowley stands out as one of the most exceptionally talented individuals she has ever come across.
Simmons praised Brandon’s resilience in navigating the challenges of being queer in a Black Baptist community, stating, “The remarkable thing about Brandon is how he has gracefully managed to exist within this complex dynamic for the majority of his adult years.”
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