Pastor | Educator | Activist | Nonprofit Leader | Organizer | Author | Consultant
With over thirteen years of leadership in nonprofit and education spaces, the Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp (he/they) is the Executive Director of LOVEboldly and the Pastor of Blue Ocean Faith Columbus (who also ordained him).* He is an active author, speaker, consultant, and researcher interested in the intersection of faith, sexuality, gender, and race, as well as leadership broadly.
Ben earned an EdD in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Mission and Ministry (University of the Cumberlands), an MEd in Higher Education and Student Affairs (University of Vermont), and a BA in Philosophy (Sewanee: The University of the South). He is enrolled at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, pursuing the Master of Theological Studies (MTS) and ministerial standing in the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries.
Ben lives in Columbus, OH.
You can find Ben’s professional CV here.
*LOVEboldly and Blue Ocean Faith Columbus are separate and distinct entities.
About
NonProfit Leader
Ben is the executive director of LOVEboldly, a small faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Ohio. Founded in 2011 by Heidi Weaver-Smith as a ministry of reconciliation and bridge building between the Queer community and the Evangelical/fundamentalist parts of the church, LOVEboldly has developed into a progressive organization working for the full affirmation of LGBTQIA+ people in Christianity and beyond.
Pastor
Ben became the Interim Lead Pastor of Blue Ocean Faith Columbus in February 2024. He was ordained and commissioned as the permanent and settled Lead Pastor on June 30, 2024. Founded in 2016 by people with backgrounds in the Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Charismatic traditions, Blue Ocean Columbus is a progressive Christian community faith rooted in Jesus as the center and a radical openness to all people regardless of their theological or political commitments. All Blue Ocean asks is that each person is open and affirming to their fellow seekers.
Author and Activist
Ben is an active and prolific writer who is particularly interested in the intersection of faith, spirituality, gender, sexual orientation, and race. He’s also interested in leadership broadly. Ben maintains a blog, writes a weekly reflection (“Monday Moment”) for LOVEboldly, and has published op-eds and guest columns with The Columbus Dispatch, The Buckeye Flame, and Red Letter Christians.
Ben is also active in the community as a member of the Steering Committee for the Columbus and Central Ohio Leadership Roundtable and a member of the Board of Directors for The Buckeye Flame.
