The Church of the Resurrection, led by Kansas Democrat U.S. Senate nominee Adam Hamilton, encouraged the use of gender-neutral terms instead of references to boys and girls to make children “feel welcome,” according to a message provided to Breitbart News that included an image crediting a transgender-identifying singer and LGBTQ activist as one source of inspiration.
“Hey! In follow up from our conversation on Sunday about our words and working towards being more gender neutral so that all kids feel welcome….here is the promised list of words we can start using instead of boys/girls,” the message reads.
The message, provided to Breitbart News, includes an image titled “Gender-Neutral Terms to Address a Group,” featuring dozens of suggested alternatives to gender-specific greetings, including “peep-a-doodles,” “homo sapiens,” “niblings,” “kiddos,” “kitties,” “comrades,” and “folks.”
Adam Hamilton’s List of Gender-Neutral Terms, Provided to Breitbart News
At the bottom of the image, an attribution reads, “Inspired by @sara.levine1 @themilajam.”
The latter account belongs to Mila Jam, whose full name is Jahmila Adderley. Wikipedia describes Jam as an American transgender singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and LGBTQ activist.
Jam celebrated becoming the “1st Black Trans Artist to co-headline BOSTON PRIDE” and promoted identifying as nonbinary, writing, “Happy Non-Binary Awareness Week to all my Enby Fam.”
During the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Jam praised former first lady Michelle Obama, writing, “Nothing like witnessing the Queen of ‘Do Something’ in person.” Ahead of the presidential election, Jam expressed support for former Vice President Kamala Harris, sharing a photograph wearing an early-voting sticker alongside the caption “Ready for Madame President.” Following the election, Jam wrote, “When I grow up I wanna be protected I want my rights I want autonomy,” concluding, “Elect WOMEN, not misogyny.”
Hamilton also supported Harris in the 2024 presidential election, acknowledging that he voted for her and contributing $500 to her campaign on July 23, 2024, two days after former President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid.
The children’s ministry message is the latest development to bring scrutiny to Hamilton’s church as the pastor campaigns to unseat incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) in November.
Breitbart News previously reported that the Church of the Resurrection, the largest United Methodist congregation in the country, partnered with Kansas City PrideFest to sponsor a “Drag Queen Story Time & Gay Pride Festival.” Images identified the church as a 2025 PrideFest sponsor alongside advertisements for the event’s “Youth & Teen Tents,” which promoted stage performances, free books, story time, arts and crafts projects, and other activities.
Hamilton, who has publicly supported affirming same-sex marriage within the United Methodist Church, legal abortion, and Black Lives Matter, questioned traditional interpretations of scripture during a 2015 pastors’ panel hosted by the LGBTQ-affirming Reformation Project. Describing how congregants who came out to him as gay prompted him to reconsider his understanding of the Bible, Hamilton asked, “How much latitude do we have to push back on it? Where can we say, you know, ‘Here I think Paul’s wrong?’” He later argued in a January 2025 sermon that churches prohibiting women from preaching had misinterpreted Paul’s letters.
Hamilton also questioned whether belief in the Virgin Birth is necessary to follow Jesus Christ during an episode of his Making Sense of Faith podcast, despite personally affirming the teaching. “So I say to people who tell me, ‘I’m not really sure I can believe in the Virgin of birth.’ I’m like, ‘That’s okay. I just want you to follow Jesus,’” he said, arguing that the Apostle Paul would have discussed the Virgin Birth more frequently if it were essential to Christianity. The teaching is included in both the Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed.
In a separate 2022 sermon titled “Is the Bible True? Is Jesus the Only Way?” Hamilton argued that adherents of other religions could receive salvation through Jesus Christ without recognizing him during their lifetimes. “And when it comes to other faiths, I believe as a Christian that they are going to — when they get to heaven, they’re going to see Jesus and they’re going to say, ‘Ah, it was you all along that I was searching for,’ but I don’t fear that those folks will spend eternity in Hell,” he said. Hamilton cited C.S. Lewis and John Wesley in discussing his understanding of salvation and has separately said the Bible contains “hundreds” of mistakes or errors.
Hamilton also acknowledged during an October CNN interview that church officials should have immediately contacted police after allegations of sexual abuse involving church camp volunteer Scott Moore, who was accused of molesting teenage boys at retreats in 2005 and 2006. “Absolutely. Like, we should have called the police immediately,” Hamilton said, explaining that immediate reporting was not part of the church’s policy at the time. Marshall has accused Hamilton of allowing Moore to return as a counselor after earlier allegations, when another child was allegedly victimized.
In a 2018 sermon, Hamilton referenced Jesus Christ’s warning that those who harm children would be better off having a millstone tied around their necks and being thrown into the sea, applying the passage to migrant family separations during the Trump administration. “When you see news stories where children are crying and they’re being taken away from their parents, you should look at those stories in the light of what Jesus said about what happens when you harm children,” Hamilton said.
During a January 2020 sermon titled “What Would Jesus Say About Climate Change?” Hamilton discussed how beef consumption and cattle production contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. “Some of the things that we grow, because we like to eat them, like cattle, end up producing more carbon dioxide than other crops that we could grow, other forms of food that we could have,” he said. Kansas is the nation’s third-largest beef-producing state, with approximately 5.8 million cattle and 2.9 million residents. Marshall criticized the remarks, while Hamilton’s campaign countered that the senator had previously discussed reducing methane emissions from cattle.
Breitbart News also reported October 18 that Hamilton’s financial disclosure showed a net worth of up to $20 million, a $394,239 annual salary from the Church of the Resurrection, and $417,372.70 in publishing royalties from United Methodist Publishing House. Hamilton also owns a vacation property in Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks valued at nearly $1 million and a primary residence in Stilwell, Kansas, reportedly valued at approximately $1.4 million. The disclosures have received attention as Hamilton campaigns against the influence of billionaires and special interests in politics.
