Raising a Bible above his head, the Rev. Gregory Dell began his lecture on the church and sexual oppression.

“This book is the foundation of my faith,” Dell said. “But, I don’t worship it.”

Dell, a minister at Broadway United Church in Chicago, was suspended for a year after he married a same-sex couple in his church.

An audience of about 70 listened and learned from Dell’s work Thursday night.

Dell explained how there are parallels in oppression for all people, but that people need to get along.

“We have to realize we have more in common than we have in difference,” Dell said.

Dell told the story about a friend from high school who taught him a lesson. Dell became engaged to his current wife around the same time his friend became engaged to a woman. Dell and his friend lost contact for a while. When Dell invited his friend and his fiancee over, he said he would love to visit, but he was no longer with his fiancee. When his friend arrived, Dell was worried he was lonely, but his friend said not to worry because he had met someone else.

“I said, ‘That’s great; tell me about her,’ ” Dell said. “Then, my friend said, ‘It’s not a her.’ “

Dell said he must have had a look of shock on his face, and he told his friend he didn’t know he was bisexual.

” ‘I don’t consider myself bisexual as much as I consider you semi-sexual,’ ” his friend replied.

Dell then discussed his trial after he married a same-sex couple, and how his suspension was supposed to be indefinite, unless he wrote a letter saying what he did was wrong.

“They appealed the decision by technicality,” Dell said. “By definition, a suspension must have a termination.”

Dell has debated with many people about the words in the Bible. Once, a student at a school in which he lectured picked up the Bible and pointed out that it was an abomination for a man to be with a man, and if this happens, the person should be put to death.

Dell countered by saying that there also was a passage stating all who curse their father or mother shall be put to death.

“If that’s the case,” Dell said. “I’m going to have to kill two-thirds of you before you leave this room.”

The audience laughed and clapped their hands.

Joan Metzger, assistant university archivist at Founders Memorial Library, came to see Dell since she helped process the collection he brought to the library.

“It’s a tremendous resource because it has primary source materials and personal papers of a person who was working for justice,” she said.

The collection includes transcripts from the trial, e-mail messages, photos of picketers and other firsthand material.

“It was one of the most interesting collections I’ve ever processed,” Metzger said.

Dell also is happy that the collection is in the library.

“I think it’s a very courageous effort on the part of the university to serve a search for truth and breakthroughs,” Dell said.

Right before he ended his presentation, Dell gave words of encouragement to the audience.

“I hope that whatever sexual orientation you are, that you enjoy it,” Dell said. “Don’t let anyone try to make you different than what God made you because it’s a gift.”