Gary has undergraduate degrees in Education and Liberal Arts, and graduate degrees in Counseling, and Educational Psychology. He has seminary degrees in Religious Education, and a Master of Divinity. His career as an educator spans three decades. Gary is an ordained Christian minister. He has spoken at regional, provincial and national conferences on topics related to spirituality and counseling, the counseling needs of sexual and gender minority people, and how to respond to Biblical bullying. Gary has a passion for interpreting the Scriptures in ways that include and build up people.

David and his wife Lisa reside near Saint John, NB, Canada, and have three grown children. He holds a B.A. in Bible and Theology, a Masters in Theological Studies in the New Testament, and a Diploma of Ministry. Ordained to the ministry, David served local churches for about 30 years, where he preached, taught, and provided pastoral care. He has extensively studied the Bible and is passionate about helping others.

After leaving the ministry in 2010, David became known as an "online pastor" to many, offering guidance to those on their spiritual journeys. He is an LGBTQ ally, a feminist, and holds progressive theological views.

Since 2005, David has been the NakedPastor, using his artwork and words to challenge religious norms and provide hope to those who suffer under them. He believes in spiritual independence and works to empower people to achieve it, advocating for healthy, autonomous individuals who form interdependent communities. His online community, The Lasting Supper, reflects these values and welcomes all.

David shares his art and words widely online, including his cartoons, Sophia drawings, images of Christ, books, and speaking engagements, all aimed at helping others.

I have worked in California barrios, eastern mill town shelters for survivors of domestic abuse, the back woods of Massachusetts, schools in Vermont, and a nice tidy office in Southern Virginia. Now, I’m back to the woods. I have been a therapist for families, soldiers, survivors of all kinds of trauma, and people of the Rainbow. I have provided critical incident debriefing for events I wouldn't want you to even think about. I have trained volunteer rape crisis counselors, graduate students, post graduate therapists, pastors, administrators, support staff, and non-profit organizations. I like helping people learn to study the Bible for themselves instead of having other folk tell them what It means. One year when I was doing national and international presentations on treatment for malevolent trauma, I began to think about how important it is that we also learn and teach about the components of benevolence and how they can function in the real world. Right now, I am getting the chance to work with two projects that want to create programs where the volunteers and staff are nurtured as well as our target audiences. That’s rare in the non-profit world to reflect on and incorporate the components of benevolence: safety, nuturing and cultural curiosity. I am delighted to have the opportunity to share what I have discovered.

Jordan is a queerly straight trans man, born and raised in Ottawa, and is a survivor of religious-based conversion “therapy” practices. He has worked as an SDA elementary school teacher, spent 10 years with the Canadian Mental Health Association, and over 20 years in various capacities including 2S/LGBTQ+ Justice at the national office of The United Church of Canada. He was the editor of Kinship Canada’s newsletter from 1994 to 1997. Jordan is currently the SOGIECE*/CP Prevention and Survivor Support Coordinator at the Community-Based Research Centre where he works with survivors and key stakeholders across Canada to support survivors, develop resources to raise awareness about conversion practices and improve understanding of the Canadian law banning conversion therapy practices (see StopConversionPractices.ca). Jordan is currently coordinating an intersectoral project to establish a national coalition to end conversion practices in Canada. He co-authored a chapter in Banning Conversion Therapy: Legal and Policy Perspectives (2023) and contributed to Shame-Sex Attraction: Survivors’ Stories of Conversion Therapy (2025). He has been interviewed by Xtra magazine, CBC Halifax, Global Morning News, CanQueer Radio, and Queer FM Radio. Jordan lives and works from his home in Toronto.

  *SOGIECE: is an acronym that stands for sexual orientation and gender identity or expression change efforts.

Carolyn and I have been active SDA Kinship members approaching 20 years. We had a gay son for 49 years - unfortunately in 2011 he had a fatal unexpected brain aneurysm - but we did have over 25 years of experiences, connections and family lessons with him and his partners. We have a strong desire to increase and enrich the “families and friends” part of Kinship. We know for every Kinship member there are one or more folks in their family accepting, struggling, or rejecting them. We also are comfortable with the honest possibility that 40% to 60% of families around the world have one or more LGBTQ+ family member(s). They are sons or daughters, sisters or brothers, maybe cousins or grandchildren - but this real family status is more common than faiths, families, or family members may realize. Understanding, accepting and supporting each other involves many emotional and intellectual decisions. Join us for our Families & Friends presentation and exploration of many valuable situations in our roundtable discussion at Kampmeeting this October in Ottawa, Canada.