Courtesy of David Acosta
The Rev. Brian Henderson (left), executive director of the Welcoming and Affirming Baptist Association, is shown with John and Lois Dinsmore of Moorestown, recipients of the 2024 Barbra McNair Award for Christian Witness, the Rev. Jennifer Bradley (back) of Moorestown First Baptist Church, and the Rev. Linda Pepe, pastor of the same church.
John and Lois Dinsmore, Moorestown residents and members of Moorestown First Baptist Church, were presented with the 2024 Barbra McNair Award for Christian Witness on July 14 by the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB).
“I meet new people on Sundays, and sometimes it’s clear they’re looking for an LGBTQ-friendly church,” John said. “Other times it’s not, but I always try to go up and introduce myself, say hello, introduce myself to other people…
“It’s kind of like what we’re doing,” he added. “Other people are watching and emulating what we’re doing… just being there and listening and listening.”
“We were lucky to grow up in the ’50s. Our parents, mine and his parents, were very tolerant,” Lois recalls, speaking to her husband. “We were never taught to avoid strangers. I remember my parents always coming over for dinner from church. And your mother was the same.”
“We were lucky in that respect because not everyone who grew up with us was like that…” she added. “When parents keep saying, ‘Hey, be kind to people,’ that makes a difference too.”
According to the Rev. Brian Henderson, AWAB Executive Director, the McNair Award for Christian Witness recognizes the commitment of one or more individuals who have inspired an entire community to think, believe, act or serve differently.
The honorees encourage the community to be welcoming and affirming, and encourage members of the LGBTQIA+ community and community allies to do what, as Henderson often says, none of us can do alone, together.
“In the past, I think the McNair Award recipients have been individuals. In the case of the Dinsmores this year, they are a couple, John and Lois, who have helped a family of faith come together as a family of faith,” Henderson explained. “Instead of thinking of them as separate, ‘these people are here, these people are here,’ they are a family of faith collectively, whoever they are, whatever their circumstances, and together they have been able to accomplish things that they couldn’t do alone.”
AWAB is a resource/partnership between Baptist churches that celebrates and affirms people who identify as LGBTQIA+ throughout church life. According to the organization’s website, since 1993, the organization has supported the existence and growth of churches that welcome and affirm all people, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
The McNair Award, as stated in AWAB’s most recent newsletter, is given to a member of the public who has promoted understanding and acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people by starting a dialogue that would not otherwise exist, opening the eyes of those who would otherwise turn a blind eye, and serving as an example that promotes affirmation for all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
“They stand out as exemplary advocates for inclusion,” Henderson said of the McNair Award recipients, “helping to ensure that LGBTQ+ people and their allies can coexist and be together as a community, as we have always done.”
“People can live together as human beings outside of the so-called closets that so many of us have been taught to occupy.”
Special to The Sun
The Dinsmores have been supporters, advocates and activists for the LGBTQIA+ community for many years.
The Rev. Linda Pepe, senior pastor at First Baptist Church, nominated John and Lois for the McNair Award, saying they have been supporters, advocates and activists for LGBTQIA inclusion for decades. In the early 2000s, the Dinsmores were at the forefront when the church began holding discussions and study groups about becoming a welcoming and affirming church.
The couple are active in QMunity, the church’s LGBTQIA+ group, and frequently host meetups, get-togethers and events for the group at their home. They also host monthly lunches that bring together diverse groups from the church to foster and deepen relationships among their congregation.
A large part of its focus is on increasing understanding between people who belong to the LGBTQIA+ community and those who belong to the straight community. Lois sits on the leadership team and has served as co-chair for many years. Under her leadership, the church’s LGBTQIA population has grown to over 50% of the congregation.
John is responsible for our buildings and grounds and is dedicated to making our church buildings a welcoming place for all, whether that be banners, signage, ADA compliance, a focus on green energy, or creative ways to drive fundraising for expenses.
John and Lois frequently cook homemade soups and stews for clients of the church’s food pantry and, when needed, deliver them to those who cannot come in person. They also attend Pride events, where they are often first in line to volunteer.
“What sets John and Lois apart is that they are witnesses to full inclusion being practiced in the broader community,” Pepe said in AWAB’s latest newsletter. “Whether it’s at a local restaurant, a marriage equality campaign, or simply when meeting someone one-on-one on the street, they use kindness and humor to help the Moorestown community better understand the need for inclusion and acceptance.”
“John and Lois are LGBTQ+ paramedics.”
