From: prufrock@leland.Stanford.EDU (Scot N Gibson)
Subject: Re: ex-gays and the church
Followup-To: Scot N Gibson <prufrock@leland.stanford.edu>
Summary: A great ministry that fights the "ex-gay" movement.
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: USA
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 93 04:11:28 GMT


An excellent book on the subject of failed ex-gay ministries is
_Ex-Gays?_There_Are_None!_ by the late Rev. Sylvia Pennington.  Rev.
Pennington was a Spirit-filled Christian who had dedicated her life to
"changing" gays and lesbians until, eventually, she realized that God
loves lesbian and gay people as they are.  Her's is a great story,
because she was a strong fundamentalist, yet still she was able to see
the truth.

In _Ex-Gays?..._, she writes that all ex-gay ministries that she's
ever been in contact with have been well-disguised failures, including
Love in Action, Quest Learning Center, and Homosexuals Anonymous (I'm
not sure about HA, it's been a while since I read it, but I think it
talks about that group).  It also contains many testimonials and
stories about Christians who were originally involved with ex-gay
groups, or tried to "go straight" on their own, failed, and eventually
came to realize that God loves them for who they are.  Great reading.

The following is a quote from the book, from the testimonial of Rev.
Allen Phillips.  It is reprinted without permission from _Ex-Gays?_
There_Are_None!_ by Rev. Sylvia Pennington, p. 108-9.

     "All 'ex-gay' ministries claim "Christ can change you."  My God
can do anything.  He can even change heterosexuals to homosexuals.
But he does not change gay or straights because it goes against the
very nature of how God created each of us!
     "All of these ministries claim Christ can change a person.  This
does not happen IN REALITY.  Sure, a few change.  If I set up a
program to change heterosexuals to homosexuals, a few would change.
Many DIRECTORS of 'ex-gay' ministries, who have taught a gay can
change, have gone back to being gay themselves!  A few of the examples
I have heard are: Jim Kaspar and Mike Bussee of EXIT and Exodus
(Anaheim, California); EXIT told me they 'Had gone on to other forms
of ministry.'  EXIT is highly unethical.  They did not tell me both of
them had gone back to being gay.  They offer FALSE HOPE and would
rather believe a lie than the truth...."


I sort of accidentally stumbled onto her book in "A Different Light"
in San Francisco.  Nobody I know has ever heard of her, but I've since
written her ministry and ordered two other books of hers, which are
her life story and her views on lesbian and gay spirituality.  All
three are good books.

The books seem sort of "home published", so people who are interested
in them might have a bit of trouble finding them.  I'll include the
address of her ministry, Lambda Christian Fellowship.  Books can be
ordered directly through them.  I highly recommend them to anyone
who has an interest in the subject of so-called "ex-gay" ministries.  

     Lambda Christian Fellowship
     P.O. Box 1967
     Hawthorne, CA  90250
     (818) 766-8409
     (310) 970-1326


--scoT

-- 
 ______  | Scot N. Gibson  | "At times, indeed, almost ridiculous-- |
 \    /  | Stanford Univ.  |  Almost, at times, the Fool."          |
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