A Letter From Our Founder

Friends & Fellow Travelers,

Flaming for Jesus is more than an organization; it’s a testament to the power of resilience, the pursuit of authenticity, and the unwavering belief in the strength of community; it’s a deeply personal calling, born from a journey that transformed my life. I want to share that journey with you.

In the spring of 2023, a near-fatal car crash the day before my 33rd birthday shook me to my core. In an instant, everything could have been taken away. But that accident wasn’t an end; it was a powerful beginning. It ignited a passionate fire within me that had been dormant for far too long.

For years, I had drifted, estranged from the church, grappling with a conflict that tore at my spirit: my wavering faith versus my identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. In my darkest moments, I believed that salvation was a distant dream, a hope forever out of reach. The weight of religious trauma – the feeling of being unloved, unworthy, and abandoned – had become almost unbearable.

But in the mangled wreckage of our car, something extraordinary happened. What could have been a cruel twist of fate became a divine revelation. I didn’t find destruction; I found a renewed sense of God’s unwavering love and grace. In that moment, the silence after years of feeling lost was filled with a purpose that resonated deep within me. I knew then that I couldn’t be alone in this struggle. I saw the faces of countless others who shared the same pain, the same confusion, the same longing for acceptance. I remembered the torment of feeling unloved by a God who preaches love, the relentless fear of eternal damnation, and the haunting echoes of judgment that had driven a wedge between me, the church, and the faithful love of God.

My mission is simple: to confront the church and the religious trauma faced by the LGBTQ+ community. To build a bridge between faith and acceptance. To create safe spaces where no one feels unloved, unworthy, or abandoned by the Divine Parent who has always loved them.

This is my story, but it’s also the story of Flaming for Jesus. It’s a story of hope, faith, and love – a journey I am determined to share and travel with you.

In Unity,
Marissa “Nico” Bonner
Founder, Flaming for Jesus