Pulling Up Old Anchors | Monday Invocation
“Loving me empowers me to love others. It empowers me to do justice work. It empowers me to fight the good fight. It empowers me to find hope in situations that feel pretty hopeless. Before I could attach myself to a belief, a new belief in the hope of Jesus, I had to go rescue seven year old Matthew.”
Drawing from his own experience leaving fundamentalism and evangelicalism, author Matthew Paul Turner reflected during his 2026 Anchored Conference Keynote on what it actually takes to drop a new anchor: first, you have to pull up the old ones.
He shared vulnerably about what work that required of him, including learning to grieve the certainty he had lost and the relationships that had gone quiet. He talked about learning to love himself, doing inner child work, and slowly letting go of fear as central parts of his journey toward hope.
Of course, since Matthew is well known for his children's books, he also illustrates his journey of navigating faith and identity through reading to us two stories, including one he co-wrote with the late Rachel Held Evans.
Click below to watch the entire keynote!
It is never too late to join us for the annual QCF Conference! Conference is an international gathering where LGBTQ+ Christians and allies come together for worship, healing, and radical community. Hear leading voices in LGBTQ+ Christian topics, make lifelong friendships, and experience the fullness of God's love, fully affirmed and celebrated. You can learn more and register at the link below!
