OneByOne at Presbyterian Church USA General Assembly 2010
It is a “sign of the times” when the message of Christ’s healing and redemptive power in regards to human sexuality is rejected by his Church. This past week the governing bodies of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. voted to approve gay ordination as it did in 2008. Again, this legislation will go before the Presbyteries in the coming months for a final vote. Hopefully, it will be turned down, as it was in ’08, and yet year after year more Presbyteries endorse homosexuality as a gift from God to be blessed and celebrated.
Team members of OneByOne were present at this year’s PCUSA General Assembly sharing personal testimonies of the blessing that comes from turning our sexuality over to Christ. Hundreds of commissioners, pastors, and young adult delegates heard the message that the Lord heals same-sex attraction and desires his followers to express their sexuality according to God’s design.
Despite our powerful witness, the delegates voted overwhelmingly to approve gay ordination in our churches. As a team member and director of OneByOne, we were disappointed but not surprised. In fact, we attended this year’s assembly knowing that the votes would not go our way. We attended for one reason only: to be a light in the darkness and to encourage churches to stand up for truth and grace.
We asked a local Exodus ministry “Outpost Ministry” to help us out, and 15 volunteers came and shared their testimony in front of hundreds of delegates. We spoke to 200 young adults and hosted a luncheon where we encouraged Presbyterian pastors to join the Exodus Church Association (exoduschurchassociation.org) and to consider doing ministry in their churches. Many pastors expressed their gratitude to us for sharing our testimonies and providing resources for their churches.
Rev. Brad Grammer, a Presbyterian pastor in Indianapolis, encouraged fellow pastors with a powerful and tender message. After 20 years helping men overcome unwanted same-sex attraction, Brad has seen sexually broken lives put back together through personal nurturing relationships in the body of Christ. It is in the kindness and concern of these relationships that healing is found and where joy is found – for all of us.
If you are a pastor of church member reading this blog, I encourage you to show kindness to your bothers and sisters in Christ by developing deeper personal relationships with them, especially with those who are broken and hurting. Ask God to show you ways you can love and connect with people – starting with the people around you, and one by one our lives will be transformed and so will our churches and denominations.
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About Kristin Tremba
While I don’t believe that God condones gay relationships and agree with the stand you are taking in your denomation, I do have a problem with the following line in your article, “. . . heard the message that the Lord heals same-sex attraction. . .” Maybe that is true for you, but it is not true for most people I have met. I am a committed Christian and my same-sex attraction is definitely unwanted. I have attended numerous Exodus conferences, Love Won Out, a support group for two years, completed Living Waters, been an assistant leader in Living Waters, and still have same-sex attraction. That doesn’t mean that those experiences weren’t good and helpful, and I’m still committed to the journey, BUT lately I have grown sensitive to the portrayal by some that if we would just go to a couple of years counseling everything will be just fine. This message seems to be the one that has historically been broadcast outside of the ex-gay movement, in an effort, I believe to help others win the culture war. I don’t want to be a pawn in that war. Only truth honors God.
Dear Todd, I realize it has been a week or so since you replied to this blog. I was just reading it again, and noticed your comments. I understand your concern with my comment “God heals same-sex attraction.”
However, I believe and have experienced in my own life a diminishment of same-sex attraction to the point where I can say that I have experienced “healing”, and there are many others who claim the same thing. However, even if I still struggled with these feelings (and even if they resurface, which they could) I would still say that God has brought healing into my life.
Healing (regardless of our feelings) is that same-sex attraction no longer controls and defines our lives. What controls and defines us is being in right relationship with Christ and doing his will.
I fully acknowledge that not every one experiences the same amount of healing in regards to feelings – experiencing same-sex attraction. Some experience more diminishment of these feelings than others for a variety of reasons. It is different for all of us. For those who continue to struggle with these feelings more intensely than others does not mean that they have not experienced healing to some degree.
In fact, those men and women who continue to struggle with these feelings may experience MORE healing in their hearts, minds, and souls – more dependence upon God because of their struggle. So, healing does not mean absence of struggle – healing means a change of heart and mind reoriented to God and in right relationship with him.
I hope this clarifies my comment a bit more. God’s blessings to you!
While I don’t believe that God condones gay relationships and agree with the stand you are taking in your denomation, I do have a problem with the following line in your article, “. . . heard the message that the Lord heals same-sex attraction. . .” Maybe that is true for you, but it is not true for most people I have met. I am a committed Christian and my same-sex attraction is definitely unwanted. I have attended numerous Exodus conferences, Love Won Out, a support group for two years, completed Living Waters, been an assistant leader in Living Waters, and still have same-sex attraction. That doesn’t mean that those experiences weren’t good and helpful, and I’m still committed to the journey, BUT lately I have grown sensitive to the portrayal by some that if we would just go to a couple of years counseling everything will be just fine. This message seems to be the one that has historically been broadcast outside of the ex-gay movement, in an effort, I believe to help others win the culture war. I don’t want to be a pawn in that war. Only truth honors God.
Dear Todd, I realize it has been a week or so since you replied to this blog. I was just reading it again, and noticed your comments. I understand your concern with my comment “God heals same-sex attraction.”
However, I believe and have experienced in my own life a diminishment of same-sex attraction to the point where I can say that I have experienced “healing”, and there are many others who claim the same thing. However, even if I still struggled with these feelings (and even if they resurface, which they could) I would still say that God has brought healing into my life.
Healing (regardless of our feelings) is that same-sex attraction no longer controls and defines our lives. What controls and defines us is being in right relationship with Christ and doing his will.
I fully acknowledge that not every one experiences the same amount of healing in regards to feelings – experiencing same-sex attraction. Some experience more diminishment of these feelings than others for a variety of reasons. It is different for all of us. For those who continue to struggle with these feelings more intensely than others does not mean that they have not experienced healing to some degree.
In fact, those men and women who continue to struggle with these feelings may experience MORE healing in their hearts, minds, and souls – more dependence upon God because of their struggle. So, healing does not mean absence of struggle – healing means a change of heart and mind reoriented to God and in right relationship with him.
I hope this clarifies my comment a bit more. God’s blessings to you!