Last Updated on September 11, 2025 by Kittredge Cherry
La Paula Turner was a pioneering Black lesbian clergy and mother of six who supported LGBTQ Christians since the 1970s. She passed away on Aug. 4, 2025, at age 88. She was one of the first African Americans ordained by the LGBTQ-affirming Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) denomination. Turner ministered in many places around the United States, but lived in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, for the last 30 years.
Starting decades ago, Turner dared to speak out for LGBTQ people in the church on television and radio talk shows, at Pride celebrations and as a featured speaker at church conferences. She challenged the LGBTQ community to heal its racism and challenged Black churches to welcome LGBTQ members. She was preceded in death by her former spouse, Sandra Robinson, president of MCC’s Samaritan College.
Born Loretta Pauline Turner on June 14, 1937, in Memphis, she changed her legal name to La Paula Turner in 1982. She became a student clergy in MCC in 1973, ministering for one year in Alaska as part of her training. She was licensed as MCC clergy in 1981 and ordained in 1984. In the 1980s she pastored MCC churches in Baltimore, Maryland; and Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, and served as Great Lakes District Coordinator. She promoted racial justice as head of MCC’s Department of People of Color in the 1990s.
Former MCC moderator Nancy Wilson describes being arrested with Turner, Episcopal priest Malcolm Boyd and Rabbi Denise Eger at an AIDS protest in her book “Outing the Church: 40 Years in the Queer Christian Movement.”
Turner earned a bachelor of arts degree in applied psychology and a master of divinity degree from Memphis Theological Seminary. Since moving back to Memphis in 1995, Turner ministered at Holy Trinity Community Church, a local United Church of Christ congregation.
My personal memories of La Paula
La Paula and I had a no-nonsense relationship built on caring and truth-telling. I was a younger white woman still finding her way and La Paula was a Black elder whose years had given her the wisdom that I needed.
My first memory of her was when she gave an illuminating lecture about racial justice as part of my clergy training at Samaritan Orientation to MCC Pastoring in 1989. During the speech, La Paula was the first to introduce me to Kwanzaa, a celebration of African American culture from Dec. 26-31.
La Paula’s spouse, Sandra Robinson, soon became president of Samaritan College. Together La Paula and Sandy were an impressive Black lesbian power couple who made a huge impact on MCC in general and me in particular.
La Paula Turner and Kittredge Cherry were both part of the MCC delegation at a Church Women United Assembly in February 1992 in Long Beach, California. Their photo appeared in MCC’s Keeping in Touch newsletter.
I was hired to fill Sandy’s previous position as ecumenical director. This required me to move from San Francisco to Los Angeles, where Sandy, La Paula and I all worked out of MCC international headquarters. La Paula’s job there was managing the Department of People of Color and its subsidiary, the division of White People Healing Racism.
Sandy and La Paula opened their home to us while we searched for an apartment. Audrey and I enjoyed staying with them in their elegant apartment in Glassell Park — although their ceiling fan terrorized our cat.
Soon after my arrival La Paula and Sandy took time to educate me over dinner about my new responsibility overseeing MCC’s efforts to join the National Council of Churches. The NCC had denied us membership in the past, generating huge national news coverage. After listening all evening to their tales of behind-the-scenes ecumenical intrigue, I ventured to say, “Maybe MCC will become a member while I am ecumenical director.”
I’ll never forget how La Paula corrected me, in her sweet Memphis accent, “Oh no, baby, you’ve got the wrong idea!”
La Paula went on to open my eyes by explaining that the point of our membership application was not to join, but to call attention to the homophobia of mainstream churches and our LGBTQ-affirming ministry. La Paula ordered me to stop dreaming of NCC membership as a goal. She declared flat-out that the NCC would never accept MCC as a member — and she turned out to be right, at least within her lifetime.
Later on, I was happy to be able to help make one of La Paula’s dreams come true. One day she expressed frustration because she was unable to contact the person she wanted to invite as keynote speaker at the MCC People of Color conference. I asked, “Who is it?” The answer: Leontine Kelly, a Black Methodist bishop — who also happened to be my preaching professor in seminary! I knew Leontine from preaching class, so I introduced her to La Paula, and she did indeed deliver a highly praised keynote address at the conference.
I saw the deeply spiritual side of La Paula when I was sick in bed. Audrey and I were hosting a meeting of Christian lesbians in our home, but I was too sick to participate. Nobody bothered to visit my bedside except La Paula. I’ll never forget how she came and prayed over me for my healing.
Your witness lives on, La Paula!
Links related to La Paula Turner
Obituary of Rev. La Paula Turner (dignitymemorial.com)
Bio of La Paula Turner in News of the Columbus Gay and Lesbian Community 1984-06-24
Video of La Paula Turner on “Get Used to It” public affairs TV talk show hosted by Sheila Kuehl, January 1994
Video of La Paula Turner preaching at Holy Trinity Community Church in Memphis on Aug. 18, 2013
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This post is part of the LGBTQ Saints series by Kittredge Cherry. Traditional and alternative saints, historical people, martyrs, prophets, spiritual and religious leaders, mystics, humanitarians, authors, artists, deities and other figures of special interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people and our allies are covered.
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This article was originally published on Q Spirit on Sept. 11, 2025.
Thanks for sharing these historical moments about Rev. LaPaula. I live in Memphis, TN and met her through a mutual friend we attended Holy Trinity Church were she served. Rev. LaPaula was our Premarital Counselor in 2012.