Points from the Pulpit: How One San Francisco Pastor Interprets the Gospel

By Sophie Martin ‘27

For Reverend Victor Floyd, solely his existence within the Presbyterian church horrifies conservative Christians.

As a gay man, his sexuality was only welcomed at the pulpit 15 years ago, and even in the welcoming Calvary Church community in San Francisco, Floyd has faced his share of trials. Members of his congregation, though they listened to his sermons and treated him as a leader, wanted him to leave part of his identity behind as he preached. 

“The next time he mentions being gay from the pulpit, I'm leaving the church,” one former member said of Rev. Victor. He refuses to ignore his sexuality in his sermons, preaching with his whole identity and not hiding part of himself from his congregation. 

“Just me being here is a political statement for some people,” Rev. Floyd said, and just as he doesn’t shy away from being “political” when he preaches about his struggles with HIV, he doesn’t ignore politics and global affairs as he preaches, refusing to deny the subjugated peoples in the world just as he refuses to deny his identity. One pressing topic he’s preached about that some members believe is “too political” is the relevant context of immigration rights.

“I mean, [in] the whole Hebrew scripture the subtext is migration,” he said. “I'd rather overstep for the sake of the gospel than just say nothing.”

In many of Victor’s sermons, he preaches about the importance of welcoming immigrants and asylum seekers into our city–but he doesn’t do it to influence the politics of the congregation. He’s simply doing his job as a pastor to interpret the Bible and apply it to the world today. Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus were immigrants in Egypt, fleeing Herod. Rev. Floyd is bringing relevant stories into today’s context, he says, not pushing his political agenda.

“Lots of good Presbyterian churches…they're saying absolutely nothing,” Rev. Floyd said. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community that’s still fighting for equal rights and treatment, he preaches equality, especially for immigrants, from the pulpit, not to influence politics but to make his congregation better people. 

“When people tell me something is too political, I know that I've said something important.”