Stephen Bennett Rebuts Alan Chambers: ‘Sorry Exodus, Homosexuals Can COMPLETELY Change’

Stephen Bennett Ministries Press Release, June 19, 2007

Contact: Irene Bennett, SBM Media Relations, 203-926-6960, www.SBMinistries.org/media.html 

HUNTINGTON, Conn., June 19 /Christian Newswire/ — Stephen Bennett, President of Stephen Bennett Ministries, a pro-family organization advocating for the traditional family, the protection of children and proclaiming the truth about homosexuality, condemned the irresponsible and disturbing remarks attributed to and made by Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, an organization claiming to be “The largest information and referral ministry in the world on homosexual issues.”

Bennett, along with many others pro-family leaders, were shaken Monday by Chamber’s remarks and are eagerly awaiting Exodus International’s official response to their President’s misguided statements.

In Monday’s Los Angeles Times article, the writer alludes to a posed question to Chambers, possibly, “Are there really such people as ex-gays?”

The writer, then based upon a response from Chambers writes, “Truth is, he’s not sure he’s ever met one.”

What’s odd is that Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, is a supposedly a former homosexual himself.

In the same article, one of the most troubling quotes by Chambers states, “By no means would we ever say change can be sudden or complete.”

What? Then what exactly does Exodus International offer as “hope” to individuals struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction and to families of homosexual- identified individuals?

On CNN’s ” The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer”, the interviewer positioned Chambers as concurring there may be a “biological” basis for homosexuality.

There is ZERO biological, scientific “evidence” for homosexuality to this date. The biblical evidence for homosexuality is very clear: it’s sin.

For Bible believing Christians, homosexuality is, was and always will be a sinful lifestyle – condemned by God throughout the Old and New Testament – a sin that anyone involved in, must repent from.

Stephen Bennett, an ex-gay himself now for 15 years, happily married for 14 years to his wife Irene and the father of their two children, stated, “Frankly, I am shocked that the President of the largest information and referral ministry in the world on homosexual issues, would ever make such irresponsible and false public statements. If Mr. Chambers, a married man and father who once engaged in homosexuality himself, says he’s never met ‘a former ex-gay’ or one who has ‘changed completely’, he’s personally invited to our home in Connecticut to meet one. I’d also be happy to introduce him to numerous other individuals – all former homosexual men and women.”

Bennett once engaged in the homosexual lifestyle for 11 years with over 100 men – losing partners and friends to HIV/AIDS, until everything changed in 1990 – when he was confronted with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He dealt with his root issues and in 1992 completely changed. Stephen no longer struggles whatsoever with homosexual temptation.

“Homosexuality is an outward expression of an inward conflict. When I completely dealt with my inward conflict, my alcoholism, cocaine addiction, bulimia AND homosexual struggle were completely gone,” said Bennett.

Stephen continued, “What we see here is the public divide of the pro-family movement. One camp believes ‘dialoguing’ with homosexual advocates and activists will bring about a happy middle ground and compromise for all. That, I’m afraid, will NEVER happen. You see, ‘compromise’ is not in God’s dictionary — and of course homosexual activists are loathe to compromise on their core beliefs. The other pro-family camp biblically believes homosexuality is, was and always be a sinful lifestyle that individuals were not born with, yet a lifestyle they CAN experience COMPLETE freedom from. I am in that camp. I don’t believe in encouraging a dysfunctional, dangerous and potentially deadly lifestyle, but COMPLETE liberation from it.”

Bennett ended, “Let the chips fall where they may. It’s time the world knows where those in the pro-family movement stand. It was Jesus Christ alone who set me free from the sin of homosexuality – not an ex-gay group, not reparative therapy and not any psychologist. I was made whole by the Word of God and the blood of Jesus Christ shed for me on Calvary, and I will proclaim and offer that same hope, freedom, grace, truth and reality to all who seek it until the day that I die. I pray my brother Alan Chambers will grasp that same message.

“For I am NOT ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ [Romans 1:16], for it was Jesus Christ alone who saved me, delivered me and set me COMPLETELY free from my sinful homosexual past.”