Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department/Program

Counseling

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Dana H. Levitt

Committee Member

Jeremy N. Price

Committee Member

Thomas Killian

Abstract

Within the Christian context, religion and sexuality are often cultural factors that shape the identity development of LGBTQ+ youth, with congregational stance (affirming, tolerant, non–affirming) and individual religiosity/spirituality serving as protective or risk factors (Crockett et al., 2018; Raedel et al., 2020; Yarhouse & Sadusky, 2021). Christian pastors’ theology, relational ministry approach, and pastoral skills influence how they engage with and care for queer youth, yet the professional ties between pastors and LGBTQ+ youth remain underrepresented in counseling literature. Guided by queer theory, this qualitative case study examined how Christian pastors understand and navigate pastoral care for LGBTQ+ youth within congregational contexts. Three pastors were studied through in–depth data collection, including semi–structured interviews, reference to church mission and vision statements, and facilitated conversations throughout the study. Evidence–linked claims from each participant’s interview and a cross–case analysis yielded six interrelated themes regarding the provision of pastoral care for LGBTQ+ youth: (1) Navigating Ministry in the Face of Harmful Theology; (2) Seeking Direction, Finding Arrival: Journey Toward Queer Affirmation and Authenticity; (3) Finding Balance: Ongoing Tensions of Affirming Support and Boundary Ambiguity; (4) Cultivating Pastoral Presence and Establishing Trusting Pastor–Youth Relationships; (5) Scope of Practice Limits: Blurring Lines Between Mental Health Practice and Pastoral Care; and (6) Seeking Competent Affirming Care for LGBTQ+ Youth. Implications for counselor educators, counselors, counselor–pastor partnerships, and future research directions are discussed.

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