August has been evangelism season for Stephen Bennett Ministries:
- In 2003, he took a group to Provincetown and met with resistance from gays, some of whom were former ex-gays.
- 2004, the year Stephen named gay relationships a putrid stench in [God’s] nostrils, brought scaled-up goals — a $50K campaign to bring hundreds into P-Town, later scaled back to a $25K goal. That campaign coincided with Family Week, so the ministry brought bible gift bags for the kids. They were met by peaceable gay Christians and thoughtful gay parents, and kid-focused activities already in progress.
After taking a break in 2005, it’s time to rev the Bennett evangelism engine back up in 2006 to go to WorldPride in Jerusalem.
My first impression, on reading this, was Huh? A Christ-centric Jews-for-Jesus outreach… to Israel??? I had to re-skim it and grab hold of the concept of a WorldPride event, and that the Bennett ministry has portrayed itself as an International Ministry, without yet speaking of Stephen travelling beyond Canada, until now.
The ministry created a logo for its evangelism campaign (at right).
But, wait a minute, the ministry’s logo bears an eerie resemblance to the image from this WorldPride.net page, apart from replacing a rainbow puzzle-piece globe with a rainbow flag. And, swapping a photo of a rainbow flag and a crowd for an photo which includes rainbow-colored balloons.
Turns out, the balloons are found just a little lower on the same page.
Where does a good Christian evangelist go after stealing adapting an adversary’s logo to promote his own campaign? Directly to fundraising, of course.
The ministry says it needs $35,000 and that $2,500 will pay one evangelist’s hotel, airfare and food. The 2004 fundraising appeal gave clues about the anticipated cost of leaflets, t-shirts and gift bags, unlike this one. If materials and overhead costs are $5K or so, they’re looking at evangelizing 300,000 people with a crew of 12.
Sure, Jesus’ disciples ultimately reached hundreds of millions.
Not in 6 days, though.
The Bennett ministry had apparently reached out to its core funders prior to announcing the evangelism campaign, because its first online publicity included a small scrolling box to thank donors. The scroll rate is slow enough for donors to catch their name, donation amount, and a thank-you message, yet fast enough to give the impression that a small avalanche of eager donors is pouring money into the ministry.
The truth? The list scrolls 17 donors and donations and/or pledges totalling $10.5K. Seven are under $50, six are at $100, one each are at $300, $1K, $2.5K, and $6K. No mention yet of AFA or CWA financial support as claimed in 2003.
I salute Stephen and his ministry for steering clear of the temptation to think that, if getting a few busloads of evangelists from New England to P-Town looked like a $50K (and later a $25K) project, that carrying a group to Israel would naturally be a $250K project.
But, if he and his funders want to be honest with themselves about where they’re at, what they wish to accomplish, in the context of what they have a reasonable chance of achieving via WorldPride (apart from shallow self-promotion), it’s time for them to examine the personal, moral, and spiritual depth that is likely to characterize folks attending WorldPride Jerusalem participants.
I agree entirely about the logo – and this isn’t a case of fair use for parody, etc. He should apologize for that and remove it. As for a missions trip to Jerusalem, that is ridiculous. For most Christians, a trip to Jerusalem is understandably quite a thrill (as I am sure it will be to Stephen). Essentially, this looks like a vacation – on donations no less. It takes a true carny to rationalize such a trip into “missions work”. And think about it, if you truly wanted to find gays to convert, how many better (and cheaper) places can you think of than Israel?
Nice try Stephen – enjoy your trip. While you are there, think about how many people could really use that $30K to save their lives. How do you think God feels about that one?
David Roberts
Not sure if it’s relevant, but one of SB’s most vocal supporters, ‘Susan Smith’ – a daily contributor to the now-defunct Straight Talk Radio online forum who was also interviewed on the apparently now-defunct radio show – lives in Jerusalem.
Susan Smith also funded the first year of STR. I can only assume she is funding some of this, but one cannot be sure and shouldn’t assume.
Didn’t that discoqueen hairdo of his go out at least 25 years ago. And that wife???? Forget Felicity Huffmann–SHE could have starred in TransAmerica.
Can we leave out the insulting-the-trannies-to-insult-the-homophobes please?
People like Exodus and their legal team are on Stephen’s side. Given that, his non-parody apropriation of someone else’s logo is incredibly ironic (better word failed me) in light of Exodus’s cease and desist letter to Exgaywatch and Justinmania(?) on the parody of the Exodus “Gay? Unhappy?” billboard.
Sorry for not providing a link, I’m overbudget in my internet dialup time.
Randi,
I believe Exodus is embarrassed by people like Bennett, but Exodus also lacks the courage and integrity needed to speak out against con artists that work the exgay movement.
Exodus lives by the unofficial motto, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Not at all Christ-like, that motto simply exemplifies Exodus’ moral relativism.
Stephen and Irene make a perfect Stepford Couple.
Exgay? Riiighhttt — I would ask you to be a little more “high road” in your comments in the future. Slamming Stephen Bennett for appearance alone is cheap shot, but drawing a parallel between a transgender film character’s appearance and the appearance of Stephen Bennett’s wife doubles as an unecessary verbal assault on those of us who are transgender people. It’s not commendable, Exgay? Riiighhttt, to attack people’s views based on appearance alone.
God has nostrils?
I won’t slam anyone’s looks. Although with a few of our ex gay activists it’s tempting.
I will only comment that their pictures bear a disturbing similarity. There doesn’t seem to be any genuine warmth or confidence in their faces, especially the eyes.
They seem masklike in ways the photo itself didn’t freeze. But reveals literally a ‘stepford’ quality.
That aside, I agree a pilgrimage to Jerusalem would be something Christians can aspire to do.
However, to crash a party specifically for the visibility of Israel’s gays and lesbians carries disrespect for someone else’s work for it.
If SB wants publicity for his organization, let him do it on his own time!
He’s riding the coattails of someone else’s event.
His timing is so obvious. Like that of “Day of Truth” to engage young people specifically on Day of Silence.
There’s no other times or places that ex gay ministries can get attention?
The Holy Land has been there for ages…and so have gay people.
The visibility of gay people is just now becoming more common. Their actual numbers and motives can be accounted for.
And every time, ex gay ministries cram themselves in ways to PREVENT that from happening, and then crow about their own numbers.
This is just the sort of behavior that a thinking person would and should wonder…how can ex gays make their claims, when the means to be sure are shouted down?
Indeed, ex gays or the anti gay don’t show up in the PTA meetings, or corporate boardrooms, religious institutions, hospitals, adoption agencies or military environments to know or show gay people at THAT level and in that way. The serious way.
No, they crash PARTIES and festivals where the activity is bound to be libertine.
Can the ex gay lack of perspective and respect for the choices people REALLY care to make be more obvious?
BTW….my training as a forensic photographer probably makes me analyze photographs that way.
Just wanted to let you know it’s a professional hazard when I look at any kind of pictures.
Has anyone else noted how reactive (vice, pro-active) the political ex-gay movement is? They can’t come up with an original thought or program. Their activities demonstrate that they don’t have, and in fact, never ~did~ have, the initiative. A reactive movement is doomed to failure. They have ceded the initiative to civil rights for all.
It also underscores that they are only ANTI, they are not PRO anything. They are a negative movement.
Not surprising that they are a dying force.
Regan, it’s different when one comments the emotion (or lack thereof) expressed in a person’s face, and drawing a simile between someone’s appearance and a subcommuntiy of the LGBT community. Exgay? Riiighhttt‘s comment on Ms. Bennett was meant as an insult, and the insult used the often less than perfect gender presentations of transgender people as a backdrop. I’m left wondering if Exgay? Riiighhttt‘s intent was to question the humanity of both Ms. Bennett and transgender people.That said, Exgay? Riiighhttt‘s insult doesn’t take away from the crappiness of Stephen Bennett’s LGBT event crashing — apparently to increase the visibility of his organization at the expense of the humanity of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Bennett’s actions appear to be full of deep disrespect for people who don’t believe as he does.
“I’m left wondering if Exgay? Riiighhttt’s intent was to question the humanity of both Ms. Bennett and transgender people.”
I suspect it was really intended to question whether Stephen was really ex-gay. But, nonetheless it was a tasteless insult and not well suited to a site that attempts to apply thought and reason to these issues.
Hi
Thanks for pointing this out..
I just searched google for worldpride and found your site.
This is really pathetic all this ex-gay missionary and stealing worldpride logo for that…
Keep up the good work
and see you all with us in Jerusalem this August!
Sanfer, Tel Aviv
Israel