Music has the power to heal what words alone cannot touch. For four decades, Balm Ministries has been the soundtrack of spiritual liberation for the LGBTQ+ community. This May, that legacy takes center stage as the ministry kicks off its 40th-anniversary celebrations with a landmark concert event in Sarasota.

Event Details

• When: Saturday, May 9 | 6:30 PM
• Where: Church of the Trinity MCC, 7229 Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL
• Admission: Free to the public

What began as a visionary outreach of the Southern District of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) has grown into a global beacon for queer Christian artistry. Balm Ministries hasn’t just performed music; it has birthed a movement.

Over the last forty years, the ministry has mentored and supported over 100 artists, providing the platform and resources needed to write, record, and share music that affirms both faith and identity. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, these songs were the first time they heard their own lives reflected in a spiritual context.

Headliners & Storytellers

The kickoff concert features two icons of the movement:

• Marsha Stevens-Pino: Widely considered the “Mother of Contemporary Christian Music,” Marsha’s journey from the 1970s group Children of the Day to a leading voice in queer theology is the stuff of legend.
• Justin Ryan: A powerhouse performer whose contemporary sound and deep-rooted faith continue to push the boundaries of what inclusive worship looks like today.

The evening will be more than just a musical performance; it will be a living history. Attendees will hear firsthand stories from the artists who have been part of Balm’s forty-year journey—sharing the struggles of the early days and the triumphs of bringing queer Christian music to life.