It’s no secret that William Stayton was a major catalyst for the upcoming JUSTSEX Conference set in motion by the Alliance of Baptists.
The idea for the conference grew out of discussions sparked by Stayton, who spoke about sexuality at an Alliance board meeting three years ago, said Carole Collins, a conference organizer and director of operations and finance for the Alliance. It’s not the first time Stayton has been the spark that got people motivated.
Stayton, one of three plenary speakers at the conference scheduled for Oct. 18-20 at the Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville, Tenn., served as a pastor in Massachusetts early in his career. There he led a movement to educate young people and adults about sexuality issues. He said it started when church members came to him to talk about sexuality.
Stayton listened, but didn’t judge. Soon other members of the church began talking to him, and next the young people asked if they could have a sex education course in the church. More requests for help with sexuality and sex education programs poured in, he said.
Nothing in his seminary training or doctoral studies had prepared him for these kinds of conversations, so he started attending conferences. Stayton also was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania to study the interface between religion and sexuality.
Professor emeritus in the Center for Human Sexuality Studies at Widener University, Slayton said it became his personal mission “that clergy and medical doctors need to be more knowledgeable about sexuality issues and comfortable talking about it.”
“We don’t talk a lot about sex. There’s a lot of secretiveness,” he said. “I hope that it (the JUSTSEX conference) will get people more comfortable talking about sexuality issues and (help them) come up with good problem-solving skills.”
Stayton will address conference attendees twice, and will focus on “meeting the challenges in the church around sexuality.” JUSTSEX also will feature as plenary speakers Kelly Brown Douglas and Marvin Ellison, as well as other dynamic scholars, activists and theologians. Learn more and register now.
