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February 3, 2011 Print

35 Years of Freedom from Homosexuality – Part 1

by Jeff Johnston

Small Beginnings, Steady Growth
 
Exodus International announced last week that this year marks the 35th anniversary of the ministry. Exodus works to equip churches and individuals to address the issue of homosexuality with grace and truth. The anniversary was marked by the unveiling of their re-designed website.
                                                                                                                                                                      
In 1976, more than a dozen independent ministries met in Anaheim, California, to discuss how to help men and women with same-sex attractions. The 62 attendees formed a coalition for their autonomous ministries – Exodus – and scheduled a meeting for the following year. This annual meeting continues, with about 1,000 people attending the Exodus Freedom Conference each year. 
 
From that small beginning, the ministry has grown to include 240 affiliates – churches, therapists and ministries that make up the Exodus network and provide support and healing for thousands of men and women. Exodus estimates that about 400,000 people contact the headquarters and their affiliates each year.
 
This growth has not always been easy; at times there have been external and internal conflicts. It took a long time for some churches to believe that gay-identified men and women could really change. Some ministry leaders struggled and sinned over the years. One of the early founders of Exodus, for example, left his wife and children for a relationship with another man.
 
But many of those in ministry stayed faithful for years and decades, stewarding their sexuality according to biblical standards and ministering to thousands of people. And the main trajectory for Exodus has been one of growth.
 
Despite the doubters and nay-sayers who have attacked and vilified those who have come out of homosexuality over the past 35 years, the ministry continues. I’m thankful for the men and women who pioneered this work, and I’m very grateful for God’s hand on this ministry.

Happy Anniversary!



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  • Bernie Keefe

    Homosexuality is an immutable characteristic, period.

  • Cindy

    Our son is struggling and we pray he will chose God’s will for his life. We pray he will seek Christian websites like Exodus International. Thank you so very much for helping those in the midst of this problem. In the meantime, the rest of our family is struggling to survive. Please pray for us.

  • john copeland

    No one can change their sexual predispostion of birth. It is preposterous and outrageous that anyone else would claim that they can change a person. This is a sick, very sick, scheme devised by those would want to make money by offering “therapy” to change sexual orientation. Only the likes of Focus on the Family and few other religious fanaticals would claim something as rediculous as this. It is very shameful for a religious organization to lie; don’t you think!

    • Jeff Johnston

      John –

      Thanks for your comment.

      Infants are not born with a sexual orientation. Most people move, from infancy to adulthood, in a trajectory toward opposite sex attractions. Sometimes that trajectory gets derailed, and attractions develop in other directions, including toward the same-sex. But even when this happens, great change is possible. Numerous studies, articles and testimonies demonstrate change in people’s attractions, behavior and identity.

      As far as claiming to “change a person,” you are correct. We can’t change someone else or make someone change.

      But that’s not our goal. We want to make sure that people know that no one is “born gay” and that people are given options to manage their sexuality in a biblical way. We also want people to know that God is powerful and good and can bring great transformation and healing into anyone’s life.

      • Elaine

        I feel the same way you do. My husband still believes the lie that people are born this way. I am praying for Him and that God will help Him. He seems to be really confused (according to friends). We know it is from the enemy of his very soul.

  • jk

    buahhaaaaaaaaa. it’s funny. they know that they are still homosexual. it’s naive to think that somebody could believe in this

  • jk

    people are born homo- or heterosexual. and there are no studies and testimonies that peaople can change attractions. peaople can only try to live as gay or straight but theay are still the same and have the same attractions.

  • Elaine

    I am a wife of a husband who kept defending homosexuals for a few years…to my horror I found out that he is gay and left me for another man. I have two children…It is sad that he did not think of how it would affect his family and kept it hidden from us for 5 years. The partner has AIDS and my husband was too naive to even realize it… I am praying God’s protection over me that it does not pass to me…I am praying very hard for my husband. I feel a lot has to do with his mother who kept him isolated from other kids his age..and she keeps condemning mine and my children’s faith..saying we are “religious”…

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