Church Called Ryan Kippes Wrong, But Spirit Called Him Home
He was a Pentecostal minister. Then, he came out, and the community that once called him family changed their tune. That's when his journey launched into a path back to himself, by way of Spirit. Ryan Kippes is the author of First Call to The Old Gods: A Memoir of Faith, Identity, and Finding My Way Home. He joins the podcast to talk about his latest memoir, which is a story of spiritual reclamation. We dig into how spirituality gets weaponized, why trusting your inner authority changes everything, and what it takes to rebuild sacred space on your own terms. If you’ve ever felt wounded by religion but still called by something bigger, this conversation is for you.Ryan Kippes is a social services leader, graduate counseling student, Reiki Master, writer, and creator of Self Sovereignty Theory, an emerging framework exploring identity, agency, belonging, spirituality, and what it means to live as an integrated self. His work is shaped by nearly two decades in social services, behavioral health, disability services, organizational leadership, and community-based care. He currently serves as a Director of Health and Social Services within a Tribal community while completing his master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.Ryan’s approach to healing is grounded in the belief that growth is not about becoming someone else, but about reclaiming the parts of ourselves we were taught to divide, suppress, or abandon. His work frequently explores LGBTQ+ identity, spirituality, religious trauma, emotional regulation, belonging, and the relationship between personal sovereignty and community.He is also the host of Normalize This: Queer Spirituality, where he brings together spirituality, psychology, lived experience, and a healthy willingness to question the rules we inherited.Book a free coaching session with Juan Francisco here.Sign up here for his newsletter, and follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
