“I came to see the great unmet hunger in welcoming congregations, across the ecumenical spectrum, for songs that proclaim the limitless love and radical welcome of God.”
Singer-songwriter David Lohman has taken a step forward in satisfying that hunger with today’s release of his first album, “Fling the Church Doors Open Wide: Songs of Radical Welcome.” Three years in the making, the album represents several more years of composition, performance and musical advocacy on David’s part. His songs appear in contemporary hymnals, videos and in LGBTQ-welcoming and affirming worship services throughout the country. Digital and CD versions of the album are available at David’s website, including sheet music, instrumental scores and piano accompaniments.
David Lohman’s songs range from the exuberant “Believe Out Loud,” written for the 2010 launch of the ecumenical advocacy organization by the same name, to the contemplative, “Be Still.” Several are based on particular Scripture texts, while others reflect something of his own journey as a queer-identified Christian.
We first met David when he was Faith Organizer for the Institute for Welcoming Resources of the National LGBTQ Task Force, a role that put him in touch with an ecumenical cohort of welcoming church program leaders from several denominational advocacy organizations. We were pleased to introduce him as conference musician at RfA’s 2013 national conference. Among other professional roles with a little Broadway thrown in, David now serves as Director of Music at St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Of his musical advocacy in the Christian community, David says this:
“I have devoted much of my life since to working for a world in which queer kids growing up in the Church don’t have to experience the kind of pain, isolation, and despair that filled my own adolescent years… So, for me, I’m now standing firmly at the intersection of faith, queer, and song. But, in the end, it’s not about me, it’s for all the children.”
