Anglican Mainstream

“ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned”. 1 Cor 2 v 14

Another caricature! Lucy Bannerman entered the world of Exodus International through a masquerade. This is also, how she entered our workshop at the Lambeth Conference, posing as a sweet but curious junior reporter. How ironic that she should then be so critical of people not wanting to pursue a masquerade any longer. As soon as there was space, in the workshop, she dominated the Q & A time, becoming feisty and accusatory. She was quite unable to hear that our work is across the spectrum of relational and gender issues and is offered only to Christians who are adults and who seek us out.

She was on a crusade but had not done the preliminary research that would have enabled an informed discussion. I would have liked to see, both in the article and in her presence, some understanding of the formation of sexuality and an acknowledgement, that is as much a work in progress as any other key part of our personhood. Then, in the light of this, a rational explanation and acceptance of the roots of same sex attraction in men and in women. This immediately raises the possibility of change. She made no distinction between someone having feelings of same sex attraction and acting on them.

She could not accept that times have moved on and academics and practitioners, secular and Christian, agree that sexuality is fluid and open to many influences and developments even in adulthood. Also, that many of us become stuck in this development and after puberty, genuine unmet pre-pubescent needs, become eroticised and present and, in their intensity, feel like our sexuality. We see Christians with a whole range of unwanted sexual behaviours: promiscuity, adultery, sexual addictions, using prostitutes, pornography.

We assert that the most helpful terminology is to describe a person, not as “gay,” but as dealing with same sex attraction and so for this reason, as well as to respect the breadth of issues brought by our participants, we refuse to be called an ex-gay ministry. For us, as Christians, our discipleship programmes are all about coming into a more profound and real relationship with God. Where He then takes us in that journey of grace and truth is up to Him.

Sadly, Bannerman had no personal reference point for what was happening at the Exodus conference she attended: worship, prayer, tears, spiritual teaching and encounters with God would have been an anathema to her and what of her room mate who shared the details of her inner journey, only to find them blazoned in the London papers, for anyone to read.

Please allow us the freedom to worship and to seek God’s grace and truth for any and every area of our lives – even our sexuality – so we can testify of His love and transforming power to a lost and hurting world.

Dr Lisa Guinness is director of Living Waters: www.living-waters-uk.org/
 

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