(The Seattle Times) It was Alex Churchman’s mother who found Beloved Arise first. She was searching for a way to help her 13-year-old, who had been questioning his gender identity and hospitalized after an attempt to harm himself.
Ashley Churchman, who lives in Arkansas with Alex, saw an Instagram post by the Seattle-based organization, started last year to support queer youth of faith. She reached out to thank Beloved Arise for its work and ask for prayers.
“They just wrapped us up in their arms,” Ashley said. A Beloved Arise volunteer posted about Alex and asked people to send him encouraging messages. Dozens did so. More letters and phone calls followed for Ashley.
It was, in a way, disorienting. A flood of love was coming from people she had never met, while in the church she had gone to for 15 years, Ashley said, she and Alex were getting different messages — “basically that Alex was choosing to be queer, and maybe if Alex would choose to follow God, his suicidal thoughts wouldn’t be there.”