Rosaria Champagne Butterfield has one of the more unlikely conversion stories that I have heard. She taught English and critical studies and a large, secular university. Her specialty was feminism and she lived with her lesbian lover. But a local pastor reached out to her with acceptance and love, and the truth of the gospel won her over.
In The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith she tells the story of her life before and after her conversion. The greatest challenge for Christians is the fact that Butterfield did not become a Christian due to sophisticated logical arguments or by challenges to her sinfulness, but through love and relationships.
Now married to a pastor and mother of several adopted children, Butterfield has perspectives that can challenge those of us who have been in the church all our lives. For one thing, she lauds the community life of lesbians, and, on several occasions, had opportunities for the church community and the lesbian community to work together and learn from each other.
As an outsider of sorts, Butterfield is not afraid to step on some toes. But she is now an insider, and her criticisms come with family love. Above all, her story is a reminder that one should never rule out prospects for conversion. The warm embrace of Christian community and the power of the gospel of Christ can change any life.
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