Houston pastor is named in Out100 list as innovator for LGBTQ+
A Houston senior pastor has been honored as a prominent innovator in the LGBTQ+ community as part of this year’s Out Magazine’s top 100 list.
Rev. Leslie “RevJax” Jackson has been named with more than 15 other innovators to a list called Out100. He is a bisexual pastor and a prominent voice and influential leader in Houston’s religious, HIV and LGBTQ+ communities, the magazine reported. Out Magazine highlights the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators and storytellers who helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people, according to the magazine’s website.
He was the first Black American pastor of Houston’s third largest church, St. Peter United Church of Christ, on Long Point Road.
According to St. Peter United Church of Christ’s website: “At St. Peter United we are building a faith community that allows everyone to feel safe, welcomed, and appreciated. We are proud to create a safe space that encourages the exploration of God’s love. We encourage our members to find what speaks to their hearts and soul to build their faith. We are a diverse and inclusive, faith community established in 1848 located in Houston, Texas. Through our virtual community, we welcome people from all over the world to join our church family.”
For his part, Jackson said he feels called to fight against ideas that hold people back.
“My life’s purpose is two-fold: liberation and salvation,” Jackson told the magazine. “I am called to liberate myself and others from mediocrity, cultural conformity, and oppressive ideas that stifle human flourishing. It is through our liberation that we attain salvation.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Jackson has been a pastor for more than six years. He served the country in the U.S. Navy in 1998. After serving, Jackson worked for the University of Houston, the Houston Food Bank and Grocers Supply.
Jackson is also a board member of the HIV group Allies in Hope.