Conferences Slated to Equip Pastors, Laity for Ministry to Homosexuals

[kweerwolf]

A North Carolina-based ministry is planning a series of conferences geared toward church pastors, staff members, and lay leaders in an effort to better equip them to minister to those who want to leave the homosexual lifestyle.

Tim Wilkins is a former homosexual who now runs Cross Ministry, which helps to equip churches to evangelize and disciple the homosexual. One of the ways Cross Ministry achieves its goal is through conferences that convey -- through personal testimony, workshops, and literature -- the reality of change for those struggling with same-sex attraction. This summer, Wilkins' ministry will hold a series of one-day conferences under the banner of "More Than Words."

Wilkins explains that the conferences will equip Christians how to better ministry to homosexuals. "The conference itself is 'Walking People Out of Homosexuality' -- not ... 'Walking Out of Homosexuality,'" the ministry leader explains. "If we used the title 'Walking Out of Homosexuality,' the implication ... would be that the conference is only for those who are dealing personally, in their own lives, with homosexuality."

But that is not the case, Wilkins says. "his conference is for everybody -- pastors, associate pastors, church staff, professionals, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, neighbors, coworkers." The ministry website promises to get conference attendees to the "bottom line" where they can make a difference in the lives of homosexuals by "witnessing the grace, love, and power of Jesus Christ who makes 'all things new.'"

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/3/afa/312006b.asp

Oh Lordy! What will we do? Them "ex-gay" fundies are on the march! :puke:

Ever notice how you never hear about ex-gay car salesmen, ex-gay lawyers, ex-gay doctors, ex-gay mail carriers, etc.? Seems like everyone who claims success through one of those programs ends up running his own ex-gay program so he can fleece others who were as gullible as he was.

[megatherium]

1. Beyond the obvious problem with this ministry, the cruel homophobia it

propogates, there's a more ominous problem: They represent a breathtakingly large segment of the American people who do not know and who disregard science, in this case, the large body of research that demonstrates that homosexuality is a normal, healthy human sexual variation. This is the same crowd that opposes teaching evolution in the schools (or wants to teach intelligent design). This kind of willful ignorance threatens this country beyond the exploitation of hate that these ministries represent.

[BR_Parkway]

2. Ever notice how their "ministry" is never free? There's always a cost

involved, which tends to enrich the "ex" homo while also bringing them into contact with alot of gay people that they could perhaps backslide with? Not that either would ever tell, since they wouldn't want to admit that they've failed Gawd or been led into temptation by the Devil.

When I hear the word Ministry, I think of people like Mother Teresa - I don't recall her sending out "urgent" emails, and slickly produced solicitation letters to raise money. Seems like she always showed and lived her faith that God would provide whatever she needed to help her do what she felt called to do in His service.

And these anti-gay groups always have two other things in common - as loudly as they proclaim they want to 'protect' marriage, they never, ever advocate to ban divorce.

And they all sit on each other's board of directors to give the look of endorsement and respectability as they fleece others out of the cash:

Cross Ministry
Board of Advisors
Ms. June Hunt, President, Hope for the Heart

Dr. William (Bill) Merrell, editor SBC Life

Mr. Jim Branch, Chairman - Fore the Lord

Dr. James Draper, President, LifeWay Christian Resources

Dr. Mac Brunson, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas

Peter LaBarbera, Director - Illinois Family Institute

Mr. John Paulk, author

Mr. Russ Andrews, Director, Finding Purpose

Dr. Paige Patterson, President, Southwestern Seminary, Ft. Worth, Texas

Gary Chapman, author

Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, President, National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality

[xchrom]

4. the ministry of hate.

[kevinbgoode]

3. Another moneymaking scam

are these people going to haul out the same five or six ex-gay-for-pay people as testimony? I think this scam is rather obvious - charge hundreds of bucks to the homosexually-challenged to offer them false hope. Hell, this might as well be a seance.