Trent Clifford, MDiv
I am a poet, speaker, spiritual director, abuse
​
survivor, proclaimer of truth, reclaimer
of faith and am passionate about reimagining
When I came out as queer, I left congregational ministry. But rather than settle, I chose to discover my own path. The better part of my adult life has now been spent in professional theatre, as a director, actor, and playwright. My love of stories, and more importantly, stories that reveal the uncomfortable truth, led me to appreciate the stage's willingness to confront reality. I found that audiences were often more receptive to my creative no-nonsense approach than were congregations.
And while I am still an active theatre professional, I have also found a way to enter back into divine ministry. As I've always known, I am a storyteller. And my academic expertise in spiritual formation coupled with my experience in the theatre make me uniquely equipped to proclaim the truth (the gospel truth, you might say) in a trauma-informed way.
Spurned by the church yet somehow still in love with it, my hope is that Reclaiming Faith can be a ministry of rest for people in the midst of processing their trauma, a ministry of inspiration for those who are looking to enter back into the faith that hurt them, and a ministry of imagination for anyone who needs to look upon God through new eyes.
​
My first book, Reclaiming Faith: Learning to Reimagine Church, God, and Ourselves has changed my life. And if you haven't read it yet, I'd love for you to check it out.
These days, I spend my time writing, speaking, and walking alongside those with whom I do spiritual direction. I bear witness to so much pain, and yet also so much joy.
When I'm not reading or writing or speaking, I'm probably spending time with my amazingly supportive husband, Chris. He's one of the few husbands, in fact, that doesn't complain about the fact that I spend so much of my day crafting words that sometimes I don't have as many words left for him. In the evenings, you'll find us laughing, cooking, taking walks, playing board games, or reading a novel together.
I love my life, and I'm excited that I get to share it with you in this way. Thank you for being here. I hope you'll find what you need, stay awhile, and support Reclaiming Faith however you can, so that other people can continue to find what they need as well.
If you're still curious about me, I'm more forthcoming in my debut book. And I talk about myself probably too much in my newsletter, ReWriting Faith.
spirituality.
I spent the first part of my professional life
working as a children's pastor and a youth
pastor, but found that my desire to expand
divine love rather than confine it was often
at odds with the Baptist churches in which
I served.
“Some people survive and talk about it. Some people survive and go silent. Some people survive and create.”
–Nikita Gill