Lee Yates
M.Divinity, BA
Covina Community Church
Lee Yates
Lee Yates is a pastor, trauma educator, writer, and community organizer. He serves as Pastor of Community Church, often known as “The Rainbow Church,” Lee is a regular presenter on issues of gender identity and expression for DCFS, serves on a hate crime statistics oversite board with SSG, and recently authored a “Grief, Loss, and Resilience” curriculum for the CA Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Lee loves to play soccer, watch most sports, and is a huge Disney nerd.
SESSION OVERVIEW
Hope and Harm: How Faith Communities Hold the Potential for both Hurt and Healing
We will explore the driving factors behind abusive faith communities, especially Judeo/Christian voices. We will also look at how these same traditions include communities of affirmation and healing. By exploring the sources of authority that faith communities stand on and what is at stake, we can deconstruct the sources of hate. By looking at those same sources, we can see alternative paths being taken by others and examine how healing can take place. We will learn about the realities of “Spiritual Abuse,” explore rites of passage, sacramental moments, and the power of a diverse and affirming community.