20 Who Count: Brian Kirk
Dec. 21—As a kid, Brian Kirk would walk into a library in the middle of summer and walk out with as many books as he could possibly carry.
"Reading is a way to travel even if you can't afford to travel," he said. "It's a way to open up the entire world to you and to hear different points of view ... different life experiences."
In a diverse community like St. Joseph, ensuring different experiences are valued is a point of emphasis for Kirk, lead pastor at First Christian Church, one of several churches in St. Joseph that are welcoming and supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.
"We think it's important to say, 'We are a place of welcome,'" he said. "We think we should be a community of welcome for all people and so we're trying to set that example in just the small way that we do."
Kirk also serves on the board of the PFLAG chapter in St. Joseph. The organization is the largest in the country dedicated to helping and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families. In St. Joseph, education and community activism have been a key part of Kirk and PFLAG's work.
Kirk and PFLAG members work to assist local organizations, groups and families looking to know more about the LGBTQ+ community.
"They want to know, 'How do we understand better? How do we be better allies?'" he said.
The group also advocates for other causes in the community, like the creation of a human rights commission or a non-discrimination ordinance, both of which eventually came to fruition in St. Joseph.
Kirk hears from those in the LGBTQ+ community and for many, it's meaningful to know the church and groups like PFLAG are supporting and advocating for them.
