Author: Jerry Wirtley

Gap

Jerry Wirtley

Texas Fighting Aggie class of 26, Chloe is a Communications Major who hopes to be a professor and do research in Gender Identification. She has been told by others it seems she knows every person who is a part of the LGBTQIA community at A&M, because she is sociable and likes to make friends. She also expresses herself through hair color and the way she dresses, and she also is careful not to let this stand in place of her personality. She also stands in the gap of being Christian and queer. Her friends are surprised when she says she is both because these are things that don’t go together.

Chloe came to Treehouse with her brother.  “My brother went to treehouse before me but I found treehouse before he did.” Chloe remembered, “Looking through the Howdy week stuff. My brother and I attended but I wasn’t able to continue the first year because of timing. This past year I missed being in a community of Christianity that also included the queer community.”

Being both queer and Christian is difficult. “Over the past year looking at my life I needed to be involved with a church/Christian org. I need a community where I can talk about God.” Chloe continued, “I feel alienated in queer spaces to talk about God. I don’t want to bring up past trauma for friends in the queer community. I was thinking about getting back to Treehouse and participate in that space. Then I saw Pastor Jerry at a Pride event in Bryan and knew I needed to get back to Treehouse.”

Treehouse is a space where Chloe could be queer and faithful. “I was seeking a space where I can be who I am,” Chloe shared. “I was drawn back to treehouse because of discussion aspects. Treehouse does not take the Bible as a literal translation, but we dig into the text and learn what it says. Treehouse reads straight from the Bible and work from there and does not start with a life situations and throw in a bible verse for good measure. Treehouse looks at the verses and discusses them.” 

Chloe loves Treehouse because like her, we stand in the gap between the queer and Christian communities to show they are not opposites, but do go together, just like God created them to.

Worth – Annual Appeal

Jerry Wirtley

Fighting Texas Aggie class of 25, Trevor, a Construction Science major, will be working for a commercial construction company in Austin after graduation. Trevor collects vinyl records and has a small collection at this point, he also can play guitar and has played for summer camps at Cross Trails. He also hopes to one day own a boat.

“Matt told me to check out Treehouse,” Trevor remembered. “I met Matt at Cross Trials the summer before I started A&M and they said I should go.” So, Trevor found Treehouse. “I went to the Welcome BBQ and just kept going back.”

“I would have had a completely different set of friends, a different community,” Trevor stated. “I don’t know how I would have made friends without Treehouse. I don’t talk to the people in my major.” For Trevor, Treehouse is the people. People who are community, who give space to be friends. “The people. Being able to have friends. Everyone there is your friend,” affirmed Trevor. “You don’t have to prove your worth. Everyone is automatically your friend and no one has to prove they are worthy.”

“The participants at Treehouse come from many different places and they like to share so we hear about many different things,” commenter Trevor. “The participants are interesting and wanted to be connected to something faith related and Treehouse seemed like a good place to do that.”

When asked what moment stood out as having the most impact on Trevor, he stated, “The whole of the community. The community is a place I know I am accepted and belong. I really enjoy it and will miss.” Treehouse is a place where you are welcome, accepted, and have a place. It is a community that allows you to know love and worth. Trevor found this community and it made all the difference to him.

Weird

Jerry Wirtley

Texas Fighting Aggie class of 27, Marley is an ECCB, Ecology, Conservation, and Biology, Major who hopes to work for Texas Wildlife or the National Parks Service or something to do with ecology and nature. They love camping, tent camping and has also worked at many summer camps over their lifetime, which has led to their major, they share a birthday with their roommate and their favorite color is green.

Marley first discovered Treehouse through a roommate. “My freshman year I was looking for a church that is more accepting,” Marley remembered, “My roommate told me about a church at the rainbow resource fair and I found Treehouse’s table at the MSC Open House, and I was invited to a gathering.” Marley was looking for “acceptance for people who aren’t sure about things.” Marley continued, “Treehouse is a space where everyone is welcome. People who don’t know if they believe in God or people who don’t know who we are are always welcome and how we start service really shows that.”

They attended the gathering they were invited to and remember being greeted by Natalie, the then president of Treehouse. “Natalie introduced herself, asked my name and what my pronouns are,” Marley stated, “I don’t have to feel weird about that at Treehouse where a lot of other churches made me feel weird about pronouns.”

Treehouse is a place where questions are ok. “The ability to question things and not understand things is commonplace at Treehouse.” Marley asserted. “Growing up if I didn’t understand I was doing something wrong. When I didn’t understand or disagree, I felt wrong. Treehouse gave me a place to know I cannot understand and still be ok. Treehouse is a safe space.”

Place

Jerry Wirtley

A current class of 26 Bearkat and class of 23 Buccaneer, Carina is now a Disney College Program (DCP)participant. She went to Tokyo Disney and Disneyland and had never been to Disney World until after starting the DCP. She loves swimming and spending time with friends and family. She is also a certified Lifeguard Instructor and was the city of Bryan Water Safety Coordinator, meaning she was over the swimming instructors for the city of Bryan. She is not sure what she wants to be when she grows up but has many options open to her.

Carina is the daughter of Pastor Jerry and has always been involved in church and faith communities. She has participated in communities when sometimes she might not have felt the call to be there. “I went because my dad was the pastor,” Carina said about Treehouse, “but the people were cool, so I stayed.” Carina commented, “I wasn’t looking for anything from Treehouse, I went because my dad was the pastor.” She was trying to keep the family happy but in doing that she found a place to belong. “Everyone at Treehouse is so supportive in helping with life decisions and just being friends,” Carina articulated, “the people there made me feel like I had a place when I wasn’t sure what my place was.”

Treehouse is a place she belongs, not because she is the pastor’s kid, but because she is accepted as she is. “I will miss being with my Treehouse friends, to hear about their daily goings on, and being involved with them,” Carina expressed as she will be at Disney this semester, “but my Treehouse friends are friends I will have forever.”

Forced

Jerry Wirtley

A Masters of Counseling Student at Texas A&M Kingsville, Conner hopes to have a private practice in counseling. They enjoy fixing old technology, collecting things and can’t seem to get out of working in prisons.

“I was forced to come against my will,” Conner joked. “Treehouse was the place that finally broke Brock out of their ‘religion is bad’ cycle. Brock’s aha moment at Treehouse helped us both move forward in our relationship. Treehouse is a great environment where we can talk about life. Treehouse goes deeper and talks about the theology.”

Conner and Brock both remember a conversation with Pastor Jerry before Conner came to any Treehouse gatherings. “. Organized religion was a bad experience in the past. You set someone off and get kicked out.” Conner articulated. “It was great to see a religious leader who was ready to have an open discussion about my life, and there is organized religion that is open to be welcoming and inclusive of all people.”

Treehouse is a place where everyone gets to participate. It is not a place of lectures or spacing out. “Treehouse is an interesting group because it is a church service where you are an active participant in the conversation.” Conner shared, “You don’t just listen to a dude talk for an hour, you get to talk and break down the topic for the week.”

Family

Jerry Wirtley

Texas Fighting Aggie class of 26, Brock enjoys racing on trails on motorbikes and yet cannot get around town without a GPS/map. They are also a licensed pilot who crash-landed a plane due to an engine malfunction.

Brock remembers his first encounter with Pastor Jerry and a Treehouse student at the MSC Open House, their first year before classes. “I was looking for a church,” Brock continued, “where I could ask the hard questions and not get yelled at for asking them.” The upfront welcoming presentation at the MSC Open House drew Brock to attend a Treehouse gathering.

“When I arrived, I saw Lauren who was in my math class, so I felt comfortable here.” Brock said, “The atmosphere was I would be treated like family regardless of who I am or was. There is more to reality than I realize. I hold that homosexuality is wrong, but I have no way to remove that from me. Here I heard that homosexuality is not wrong and why. We dig into the big hard questions and do not shy away.”

“I also remember the party I arrived at really late when everyone else was leaving at Pastor Jerry’s”, Brock stated. “I was out in the sun and had heat exhaustion and they let me stay even though everyone else was gone. They treated me like family, even when they really didn’t know me.”

Treehouse was the place where “I was treated less as a demonic entity or a danger to everyone else’s well-being.” Brock stated, “Other places gave the impression that the prolonged exposure to me would damn them to hell.” They were accepted as they are and felt like they belonged. “Treehouse takes me as I am,” they articulated, “Here I have almost no filter.”

Intervention

Jerry Wirtley

A Fighting Aggie of the class of 26, a Biomedical Engineering major from Waco who hopes to go into Cancer research, Ashlyn also loves spending time with her friend Taylor and her cat.

Ashlyn had always been involved in faith communities that were big on rules and being the right kind of person. This meant that she couldn’t fully be herself and has to hide parts of who she is to fit in and not cause issues. She joked once about communism and got a sit down talking to by leadership. She was never able to fully be herself and was told if she tired or prayed hard enough her “issues” could go away. 

Ashlyn found Treehouse through a guy she was dating who was the friend of a former Treehouse student who got married. “I saw Pastor Jerry at the wedding,” Ashlyn remembers, “and I thought, he is really colorful and seems very welcoming.” After getting fed up with the rules and unhelpful leadership of her last faith community, she and Taylor decided to give Treehouse a try.

“I like that there is free food.” Ashlyn stated, “In other groups I have been a part of they wanted us to bring our own food. Someone cared enough to make us a meal. Everyone here is very accepting and welcoming. I can be who I am here and not have to worry about having an intervention. You are accepted as you are.”

Different

Jerry Wirtley

An exercise and sports nutrition-focused kinesiology doctoral student at Texas A&M, Jake is also an avid fan of the outdoors who enjoys camping and hiking. Originally from Green Bay, WI, he is also an avid Green Bay sports fan.

As a student originally from out of state, Jake was looking for a community to keep him connected to the faith he established as a youth. He was also looking for something outside of his academic bubble. “I was first introduced to Treehouse by Tammy at Peace Lutheran Church,” Jake said. “I also saw Pastor Jerry with a couple of Treehouse students speak at Peace. So I thought I would give it a try.”

“Treehouse was advertised as an everyone is welcome community,” Jake expounded. “And I came back when I found it was as advertised. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. A nice place to be and spend time with community. In an environment where you don’t feel like you’re trying to meet a deadline, we enjoy the time together.”

Jake continues to be a part of Treehouse, because we are not all alike. He is the only one of his major and loves that this is a group of different people, from different places in life. 

Treehouse is “a group of people who could care less what you look like, what you are wearing.” Jake said. “We are all happy to be who you are and it is fine to just come together and laugh about nonsense with fellow believers.”

Questions

Jerry Wirtley

Fighting Aggie of the class of 26, Lauren an Ocean Studies Major hopes to do research in the middle of an ocean. She loves animals, and reading books, and grew up coming to Aggie Football games.

Lauren grew up as an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) member and remembered Pastor Jerry speaking at her congregation, Palm Valley Lutheran when she graduated from high school. “The senior banquet,” Lauren remembered, “had Pastor Jerry as a speaker, and he told us about Treehouse and I decided then to go and see what Treehouse was.”

Lauren came to the Texas A&M Ice Cream social, that is a part of Howdy week and went to several faith based groups and none of them seemed to be the one. “I went to other booths at the TAMU ice cream social and didn’t click.” Lauren said, “I clicked here.”

“I knew Treehouse was the place for me, the first worship gathering after Treehouse’s Ice Cream Social,” Lauren stated. “Pastor Jerry asked a question, and we were going around answering, and then someone else asked a question and Pastor Jerry said I don’t know. It showed me I didn’t need all of the answers.” Treehouse is a safe space to live in the question. We are Lutheran and love the simultaneously saint and sinner aspect of life. Questions aren’t things to shy away from. “I was looking for a place that would allow me to stay connected to my faith because I was going to lose it completely. I needed a place I could ask questions because it seemed we always needed to have answers.” Lauren proclaimed, “And Treehouse was a place I could ask questions.”

“I am very glad Treehouse exists,” Lauren remarked, “because I know there are people who are freaked out about asking questions, needing to know all the answers. Treehouse is a safe space to ask questions and know no one will think you are stupid.”

warned in a dream

Jerry Wirtley

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.” When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come one who governs, who will shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route. (Matthew 2:1-12, CEB)

This is the day of Epiphany when the Magi arrived at the home where Jesus was living after he was born. From the passage that comes after this, we can ascertain that Jesus was around two years old when the Magi arrived.

The thing that struck me this year as I read this text was that the Magi were warned in a dream. God spoke to those who we say are outsiders, from different religions to warn them that Herod was bad and that they shouldn’t share the location of Jesus with him, and we are told that they believed this vision and went home a different way as to avoid Herod. God works in and through the world and in many different and surprising ways.

How do we follow what God has asked us to do and how do we help bring light to the world?

Do we love out loud and show grace and mercy in our actions?

How can we not share doom and gloom but be beacons of peace and not say that some are outside of God’s inner circle?

We need to focus on God and share God’s love and let God be God.

Loving People. Loving God.