A Different Calling
Photo Credit: Kevin Nye
Ever since middle school, Kevin Nye was called to be a minister. He grew up in Arizona, and his family attended the Church of the Nazarene. His grandmother used to say he would be a great evangelist traveling to different congregations to preach. When he was finally on the cusp of becoming an ordained minister, he was denied the chance by church officials who believed he was too progressive. It was 2016 and with the rise of Donald Trump as the Republican candidate for president, there was closer scrutiny of ordination candidates to make sure they accepted and would follow official church teachings. Church officials had big concerns about the extent to which Kevin did and would.
Softly Shown the Door
But by giving up his hope of becoming an ordained minister, he chose to pursue a different calling to advocate for unhoused adults and children, including those who are LGBTQ+. Today, in addition to serving as the housing director at Youthlink, he writes for and preaches to a Christian audience calling on them to live their faith by protecting the unhoused and help bring an end homelessness. Kevin is challenging the deeply held belief among many conservative Christians that the way to help unhoused people is through the Gospel Rescue Mission approach that requires them to attend church and bible study to prove they deserve access to further resources. As a writer, preacher and advocate, he also challenges the belief that homelessness is a result of an individual’s bad choices and instead the result of larger systemic forces that make housing unaffordable for too many. He preaches and writes about evidenced-based practices that help unhoused people in the context of the Gospels as a better, more compassionate alternative to address homelessness.
Kevin admits that when he was young he fully embraced the teachings of the Church, including that homosexuality was a sin. When he went to college though, he was exposed to new ideas and perspectives that challenged his beliefs. He realized that what was most important to God was the individual and the collective. After college he attended Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he met Queer Christians and he came to understand love is love.
At the time he was preparing to be ordained, Kevin was part of a progressive church within the Church of the Nazarene, which gave him hope that change was possible. He believed the way to make change was from within, which he would be as an ordained and licensed minister. But then, as he puts it,“he was softly shown the door” by church officials.
Started Down Another Path
But while the path to becoming ordained ended, Kevin had already started down another path. His roommate from seminary helped him get a job as a wellness program facilitator at The Center, a drop-in center in Hollywood, California, that is working to break the cycle of homelessness by providing radical hospitality and creating safe and supportive communities. It is a place where unhoused people can find community, be safe and just be without the fear of being harassed or chased off. The only requirement for guests is they have to help keep the space safe for everyone. It was Kevin’s responsibility to brew the coffee, get to know the guest and lead discussion groups. As he got to know them, he realized they were people who didn’t want to be homeless and just wanted a safe place to live and be.
Kevin moved his way up at The Center becoming a team lead and eventually the assistant director of programs. During this time he got married and continued attending the Church of the Nazarene. Even though he was denied ordination in the Church, it was his spiritual home and he found kinship with other members, especially those who shared his beliefs. But as much as he loved his Church and the work he was doing, the cost of living in Southern California was just too high. He and his wife knew they would never be able to afford a house, and they wanted to start a family, so they decided to move. Ultimately, they settled in Minneapolis when Kevin got his current job.
Does Not Hold Back
Kevin is busy. In addition to his full-time position at YouthLink, he is writing his Substack, Who Is My Neighbor?, which has over 1,500 subscribers. He writes about ending homelessness and how people and communities of faith can help. Some recent posts include Ending homelessness just got harder (In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that outdoor sleeping bans are legal) The thing about NIMBYs is..... and Jesus would carry Narcan, which he also sells as a t-shirt donating the proceeds to organizations working to reduce harm to unhoused people. He is thoughtful about the topics he chooses to write about in order to maximize his voice and platform for the greatest good. He says he doesn’t have hobbies, he has obsessions, so when he decides to learn about a topic, he immerses himself in it. Once he decides to write about it, he does not hold back. Pride, Prejudice, and Homelessness is an open letter to Christian parents who have rejected their LGBTQ+ children and turned them out on the streets. He writes about the intersection of race and homelessness in Homelessness and Blackness. In The Role of “Rules” in Homelessness Programs he writes about how organizations' rules about safety are often used to discriminate against and alienate unhoused people.
Kevin’s grandmother was right about him traveling around the country to preach. He often does that on the weekends. He also is working on his second book. His first was published about two years ago titled Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness. He is also the father of two young sons who are 4 years old and seven months. While he and his family are settled in Minneapolis, they haven’t yet found a new church to call home, which he says feels strange and he misses.
Today there are better systems in place to move unhoused people into housing, but more people are becoming homeless faster, including those with full-time jobs as a recent Washington Post article highlights. But in the face of this difficult reality, Kevin sustains hope because he sees Christian communities that are living their faith by stepping up and showing up to help unhoused people and do what they can to bring an end to homelessness.
Note to Readers
On Who is My Neighbor, Kevin has done a three-part investigation with updates of the Grants Pass Gospel Rescue Mission, which is the only homeless shelter in Grants Pass, OR, the city at the center of the recent Supreme Court. I encourage you to check out this series as Kevin has done an excellent job highlighting the practices used at this shelter, and the impact of them on individuals who to stay there in order to have shelter.
Learn More
To learn more about Kevin, book him as a speaker, subscribe to his substack and/or order his book, please visit kevinmnye.com
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