43. Jarko de Witte van Leeuwen (Gay & Christian in The Netherlands) – A Journey Back to Church Through Love, Marriage & Hope

43. Jarko de Witte van Leeuwen (Gay & Christian in The Netherlands) – A Journey Back to Church Through Love, Marriage & Hope Alexis sits down with Jarko de Witte van Leeuwen, Dutch LGBTQ+ advocate and founder of The Growing Wall of Love, for a moving conversation about growing up gay in a conservative Christian environment, surviving years of bullying, finding lifelong love, and discovering that losing trust in the church doesn't have to mean losing God.Jarko shares his extraordinary journey from Belgium to the Netherlands, meeting his husband Jos, becoming one of the first same-sex couples married after marriage equality became law in the first country to legalize same-sex marriage, and the pastor whose simple act of blessing their wedding became the beginning of healing after years of church hurt.Together, Alexis and Jarko explore what Christians around the world can learn from one another, why affirming Christians exist in every denomination, and how crossing cultures, languages, and traditions can deepen our faith, expand our empathy, and reveal a much bigger picture of the global Church.💬 **In This Episode**• Growing up gay in a conservative Christian environment• Bullying, shame, and discovering God's unconditional love• A remarkable love story spanning Belgium and the Netherlands• Marriage equality in the Netherlands and becoming one of the first same-sex married couples• Finding faith again after church hurt• Why affirming Christians exist in every denomination• Raising children as a same-sex Christian couple• The difference between welcoming and affirming churches• Advice for pastors seeking to create safer, more inclusive churches• The Growing Wall of Love and World Pride Amsterdam👥 **People/Resources Mentioned**• Jarko de Witte van Leeuwen: @jarko_de_witte_van_leeuwen• The Growing Wall of Love: @thegrowingwalloflove• Rocky Roggio / *1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture*: @rockyroggio • @1946themovie• Rev. Dr. Chris Davies: @revdrchrisdavies• Project Proclaim: @project_proclaim• Southern New England Conference UCC: @sneucc  ⁨@uccvideos⁩  • Westerkerk Amsterdam: @westerkerkamsterdam• WorldPride Amsterdam 2026: @worldpride2026#Christianity #ProgressiveChristianity #LGBTQChristianity #GayChristian #ChurchHurt #Deconstruction #Reconstruction #TheNetherlands #WorldPride #1946TheMovie #OpenAndAffirming #Faith #TheSacredSlopeSupport the showAbout The Sacred SlopeWhere the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)🔗 Connect🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control