Reclaiming Faith, Reclaiming Self

Reclaiming Faith, Reclaiming Self: How One Queer Minister is Opening Scripture and Building Belonging on TikTok

In a modest church in Queens, New York, Brandon Robertson preaches to a small congregation—but beyond those walls, his voice reaches tens of thousands. Known for his bold and insightful TikTok ministry, Robertson is drawing in a new generation hungry for a different kind of Christianity—one that is inclusive, accessible, and deeply rooted in both theology and lived experience.

Since launching his TikTok channel, Robertson has noticed something striking: Gen Z isn’t turned off by faith; they’re starving for it—just not the sanitized, gatekept version handed down through traditional seminary channels. “There was a deep hunger in Gen Z for deep theological and biblical content,” he says, “but far too often, this is all locked away in the ivory tower.”

His TikTok videos defy that model. Some are playful—like the one where he dances dressed as various Christian clergy types: all‑black for Anglican/Catholic; jeans and a T‑shirt for Evangelical; a gray suit and stole for mainline Protestant; and a tight button‑down with khaki shorts for himself. But the channel isn’t just performance. It’s also a pulpit.

One video turns to the story of Lazarus: “Lazarus was locked up in a cold, dark tomb, wrapped in burial cloth, left for dead. That’s exactly what so many Christians and so many churches do to LGBT people.” The moment, filmed simply and spoken with care, ends with a gentle affirmation: “Happy Pride Month, everyone.”

As an openly gay Christian minister, Robertson is no stranger to the complexities of navigating faith and identity. His new book, Queer and Christian: Reclaiming the Bible, Our Faith, and Our Place at the Table, serves as both memoir and ministry. It offers deep biblical engagement alongside reflections from his own journey, growing up evangelical, closeted, and deeply conflicted.

Like many LGBTQ Christians, Robertson revisits the so‑called “clobber passages”—the Bible verses traditionally used to condemn LGBTQ identities—but he goes further. His book also introduces “queer readings” of familiar stories, inviting readers to see themselves in characters long overlooked. Take Joseph and his technicolor dreamcoat: isolated, misunderstood, and nearly destroyed by his brothers, yet ultimately embraced because of his father’s love and his own fierce authenticity—a mirror to the queer journey of rejection, resilience, and reclamation .

Even Jesus, Robertson suggests, can be seen through queer eyes. “A single Jewish man in his 30s, who abandoned the pursuit of a family and traveled through cities preaching good news—this was a subversion of patriarchal norms in the first century.” It’s a reading that once made him uncomfortable. “Ten years ago, if you brought me queer readings of Scripture, I would have rolled my eyes,” he admits. But seminary, and now his ongoing PhD studies, have changed his lens. “It’s important for each community to be able to see themselves reflected in the face of Christ.”

In the final section of his book, Robertson offers guidance on topics like sexual ethics—grounded not in shame or legalism, but in the teachings of Christ: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Love of neighbor, love of self. That’s the measure.

While Queer and Christian speaks directly to LGBTQ believers, Robertson sees his ministry as offering something vital to the broader church as well. “Queer people are especially tasked with helping the heterosexual and cisgender church learn one of the central things that Jesus taught,” he says. “That by dying to our false self and rising to our true self, we experience liberation.”

About Brandan Robertson

Rev. Brandan Robertson—dubbed the “TikTok Pastor”—is ordained in the United Church of Christ and serves as Pastor of Sunnyside Reformed Church in Queens, NY. As a public theologian, author of Queer & Christian and nine other books, and founder of the DevOUT Foundation, his work spans memoir, queer theology, digital ministry, and social justice. He holds a BA from Moody Bible Institute, an MTS from Iliff School of Theology, an MA in Political Science, and is currently pursuing a PhD in New Testament at Drew University. With over 300,000 TikTok followers, millions of views, and mainstream media appearances (CNN, NPR, TIME), Queer & Christian is being taken on a massive North American book tour—40 cities through Summer and Fall 2025, including dates in California (Belmont, San Francisco, Marin City, Palo Alto, San Diego), Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Canada, and beyond.

In a landscape still grappling with whether faith and queer identity can coexist, Robertson offers a compelling answer: yes. He doesn’t just open Scripture—he opens a path toward belonging, dignity, and collective transformation. And in the process, he’s reimagining what a modern faith community can look like—on TikTok, in the pews, and around the table.