Kevin Garcia
Queer Spiritual Director.
Mystical Theologian + Practitioner.
Public Theologian.
Holy Sh*t Starter.
Sit with me a while.
(a metaphor for practical theology + ministry)
When I think about anytime I’m having a really good time, it involves some kind of meal.
A dinner with a friend I haven’t seen in a while. A feast with my southern family. A food truck at 2:00 AM with the girls, make up smeared and wigs off. A spilt beer as I try to tip the drag queen. Another mimosa over huevos rancheros at brunch.
Bread & Wine.
I believe in setting the table. I believe in feeding who comes. I believe in raising a glass to those who are present, those we’ve lost, and those who we welcome with open arms. I believe in no guest lists or social norms. I believe there is no head of the table but Love. I believe in making sure everyone has had enough to eat.
I believe I can’t force anyone to come, nor can I bid anyone to leave, nor should I beg anyone to stay. But it is not my business to convince anyone to come share the meal with me. It is not to try and defend its validity. I don’t even have to get into how we prepared the meal. I am to simply ask,
“Are you hungry?”
I believe that there is a food that the world offers, but it is not the bread of life.
I believe that there is drink that the world offers, but it’s not living water.
So I choose to come together with whoever will eat with me, whether or not they call Jesus friend or savior or heretic or brother or prophet or no one.
May I be a person to set many tables. May I be a prophet of hospitality in a world that feels lonely and disconnected. May I be someone to invite everyone.
Beliefs.
This is where it gets tricky.
I’m still a Christian. At least I think I’m still a Christian. Though, I do not cal myself a Christian. I’m more concerned with the question, “Who do you say I am?” Because if my life doesn’t testify to Christ’s transforming love in my life in my action, is it authentic? If I do not do what Christ commands, am I a Christian?
I follow the teachings of Jesus as best I can and I am a part of a Christian faith community. But, I do not believe that Christianity holds the key to salvation. I believe it to be a path to bring Heaven to Earth, one of many.
I’m a mystic, a yogi, a healer, a devotee of Jesus of Nazareth. Am I a Christian? I’m not sure. Because what does that word even mean? I believe that spirituality is only as true and good as it is helpful.
Below, you can click to read my statement of faith along with some explanations about my personal practices and rational behind them.
It might not make any sense. But I’m okay with that.
Vocation Station.
Someone on twitter said to me one time, “I love that you’re kind of like a digital pastor.” And I thought it was catchy, so I borrowed it. And though it’s evolved over the years, my pastoral vocation has still been prevalent in all my work.
I’m dedicated to creating space for people, helping them heal from the pain of the past so they can enter more fully into their present moment, building a future that they imagine for themselves. I’m here to catch the ones who fall through the cracks of the Church.
While my early work was staunchly dedicated to reforming the Church, my work now encourages folks to leave spaces that are less than fully loving. There are already spaces and people who will love us without needing to convince them of our worthiness. And people deserve to be free now.
I believe my calling involves helping to bring about a spiritual revival of moral and social imaginations, setting people free to build lives of meaning and purpose, to divest from systems that oppress them, and to love with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision,
then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”
― Audre Lorde
Greatest Hits
Here are some of my favorite things I’ve created that are dope examples of practical theology.
5. Sermon: Doing Theology on Human Sexuality Better.
I preached a sermon at Park Ave. Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA, and I talked about how we screwed up our beliefs on human sexuality. For me, this is teaching people how to create new theologies or reinterpret old theologies to help liberate our everyday life based on our lived experience. Tap the heading to view on YouTube.
4. Instagram
This might be a cop out, but I don’t think it is. My Instagram is one of my most active and engaged platforms. It’s become a sort of mini-blog for me. For me, a selfie isn’t self-indulgent. For the queer person, and any other marginalized persons, a selfie is a declaration of I am still here. You will not erase me. I am going to shine. And I want you to celebrate with me. It’s joyful celebrating of God’s creation. We spend our lives not celebrating ourselves. Celebrating is a necessary way of reclaiming our space. Being a visible queer activist and public theologian is important work.
3. What Makes You Bloom
My second book! Published in Jan 2024 on Broadleaf Books, this book is the follow-up to my self-published first book, Bad Theology Kills. It outlines how to build a spiritual practice for connecting with your divine self using the Fruit of the Spirit as the teaching tool. Each chapter takes a different fruit and explains how they can be developed through daily practice and how they naturally occur as a part of our human experience when we are aligned with who God created us to be.
2. A Tiny Revolution
My podcast, A Tiny Revolution, is a podcast about the seekers we all are. It’s conversations with ordinary people living revolutionary lives. I’ve published over 200 episodes, interviewing everyone from everyday humans to best selling authors, well known speakers, influential activists, and my goofy ass friends. Subscribe to it wherever you listen to your podcasts.
1. Bad Theology Kills
I published my first book Jan 31, 2020. To date, we’ve sold over 3000 copies to date and continues to
This book is the my attempt to describe my own theology which demands that we destroy any bad theology which is killing us.
You can download a sample by subscribing to my maling list.
Practice makes better.
While I do not believe it is ever possible for any one of us to be separate from God, I do believe that having a life praxis which includes meditation and communal participation can help us be connected to the Presence of Love which we so desperately need.
My personal practices include:
Daily meditation and prayer. 🙇🏽♂️
Sweating at least once a day through intentional movement. 💃🏽
Gathering with a community who loves me regularly. (Read: I am an active member at Park Avenue Baptist Church. I’m on the preaching committee, lead worship, and help with our outreach and marketing.) 💒
Therapy every week. 🖤
Karaoke 🎤
Radical Honesty
I always say what I am feeling and own my own emotions withou projection.
I always name my needs and know I am. responsible for getting my needs met.
I always ask for what I want because I am always okay with hearing “no.”
I’m glad you could join me.
Sending you love and compassion,
KG