Posted on 06/20/2013 11:59:18 AM PDT by HokieMom
UPDATE: Hours after apology, Exodus International announces plans to close and begin a separate ministry. Melissa Steffan
Update (June 19): Exodus International announced Wednesday night it will shut down and start a separate ministry for a "new generation."
“We’re not negating the ways God used Exodus to positively affect thousands of people, but a new generation of Christians is looking for change – and they want to be heard,” said board member Tony Moore.
The announcement came hours after issuing an apology to the gay community. At the time, Exodus leaders had shared little about their next steps, and the website for the new organization, reducefear.org, did not reveal any details.
Exodus president Alan Chambers has since told The Atlantic that their next initiative "won't have anything to do with the issue of ex-gay." He discussed the need for unifying dialogue, name-dropping Christians like blogger Rachel Held Evans and retired Bishop Gene Robinson.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.christianitytoday.com ...
I have had conversations with Alan but I believe he is wrong on this. I believe he has good intentions but I think this is more an expression of weariness.
Why not simply fold up shop & retire?
Alan has his own issues. I wish he would or simply turn it over to Randy Thomas who I believe would make a better steward for the org.
Is the apology for saying that the Bible says that God frowns upon homosexuality, or is it for the way they approached the issue?
Sounds like complete surrender to the homosexual agenda...
Yep. Sad. Interesting to see who stands firm and who chooses to capitulate.
Good riddance to an apostate “ministry”.
Hopefully, the Lord will raise up another ministry committed to redemption.
“but a new generation of Christians is looking for change – and they want to be heard”
Hmmmm how about, “...the same yesterday, today and forever”? And isn’t it God’s voice that Christians should be concerned about being heard?
Don’t like the action nor the reasons given. Uphold the Word of God, especially when you have taken a very public position of doing so. This looks and feels like capitulation and retreat.
Exodus started when most churches wouldn't touch homosexual ministry. Now that many will, Exodus has lost it's edge.
Even if it isn't, it will by cast as such by the Homo-MSM.
Even if it isn't, it will by cast as such by the Homo-MSM.
Like the Boy Scouts, Exodus became “all about the money” sometime in the last decade or two. Any threat to that new standard had to be dealt with, even if it meant relinquishing values.
There already is one, called "Transforming Congregations" - http://www.transcong.org/ . While originating and working within the United Methodist denomination, TC ministers to the sexually-broken, with an emphasis on homosexuality but not limited to that.
Our organizations have worked together for years to keep the UMC (more-or-less!) on the right, scriptural track as that relates to homosexuality, abortion, and "sexuality" issues in general.
This guy didn’t really make much clear. He still believes what the bible says about homosexual sex & marriage.
Science tells us that being a homosexual is a choice, that it’s genetic or “born this way” is a myth.
Unrepentant sinners are going to hell, so why would he stop trying to help them?
Now if his words meant that they weren’t loving the sinners, that they were refusing to let them in their church, that they were calling them names and belittling them, then yes you should end that ministry.
I agree that he should have just shut up and gone away. His silly apology will be misused by the left to smear the church.
One thing you can tell, without the Bible, is that Homosexuality is not genetic. Every time a gene mod might crop up, it would be nipped in the bud that generation. One thing genetics does say about Homosexuality is that it is a dead end.
Probably getting black mailed.
Interesting viewpoint.
Just listened to an interview with one of the principals Exodus VP Randy Thomas of this group on a Catholic Radio Station. This is what I got out of it. Seems they think(Randy and others in their group) that their group mission wasnt’ focused enough on Christ, the good news and salvation but on changing the homosexual. They, in some circles, were viewed of being an actualization of the characterization of what the homosexuals say or demonize about Christians. The focus wasn’t on Christ nor chastity but changing the homosexual through “...sexual orientation change efforts and reparative theories about sexual orientation that stigmatized parents.”
In contrast, Catholicism preaches chastity for all and love of the sinner, and hate the sin... but not necessarily a church factory dedicated to obliterating homosexual thoughts and tendencies —homosexual deconstruction. Forgive me, and thankfully, I am not a expert on this topic.
Look elsewhere for that!
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