When Troy Perry, a young married minister, finally accepts his homosexuality, he thinks that his relationship with God is over. But just when he thinks he’s lost everything, he finds his calling and founds a new Christian denomination — the Metropolitan Community Church — for the LGBT community. Candid and boisterous, Perry’s Pentecostal roots take on new life as his voice rings from the pulpit, “I burned down my closet!” And that’s not the only barrier he’s intent on taking down.

It’s rare for one person’s life to so perfectly collide with history, but such is the life of Reverend Perry. Inspired by Jesus’ words, “Where I find oppression, I will bring deliverance,” Perry commits himself to fighting for gay civil rights and plays a pivotal role in many milestone events, from West Hollywood’s first gay pride parade in 1970 to the 1979 March on Washington to the more recent struggle to legalize gay marriage.

Looking back on his triumphant moments, Perry also journeys into a painful past, including the loss of his father, then his family, then the thousands of congregants who succumbed to AIDS. But Perry’s faith and sense of humor carry him through as he finds redemption in the Gospel, his growing congregation and the love of his life.