Breaking Free: Paul Darminio on Radical Love, Queer Inclusion, and Leaving the Nazarene Church

Radical Love Live

In this powerful episode of Radical Love Live, we sit down with Paul Darminio, an ordained minister (for now) in the Church of the Nazarene, chaplain at an inpatient behavioral health center in New Jersey, and PhD candidate at Northwind Theological Seminary. As a cisgender hetero man, married with two teenagers, Paul shares his evolving faith journey and deep commitment to a religious worldview that embraces all people as God's beloveds, including queer individuals often excluded by traditional church doctrines.

Paul opens up about his own struggles with depression and the experience of being an outsider, offering a raw and empathetic perspective that informs his ministry today. He discusses the mounting tension between his inclusive beliefs and the anti-queer stances of the Nazarene Church—a conflict that ultimately become one of his reasons to resign. The breaking point was a shocking scandal where church leadership chose to cover up a case of sexual abuse instead of reporting it to authorities.

Now, Paul focuses his energy as a chaplain, where he provides spiritual care with a special tenderness for queer patients. He also reflects on the work of the Open Table Network and his vision for a future where radical love and justice replace exclusion and silence.

Join us for an honest and hopeful conversation about faith, accountability, and what it means to truly embody God’s radical love.

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