Ex-gay organization Exodus International has announced that its Vice President, Randy Thomas, is stepping down and taking on a part-time role as its new Director of Digital Media and Development.
Exodus says it and Randy both sensed that “God has been preparing him to serve in exciting areas beyond the borders of Exodus.” The smaller role allows him “ample time to pursue his calling and passion in the arts and pastoral care.”
There’s no word on a new VP. That the economic downturn has taken its toll on Exodus suggests a replacement is not a priority.
An old friend of Ex-Gay Watch is waiting eagerly for “all *those* websites to make a meal of this.” I’m sure I don’t know which sites he has in mind!
Exodus’ announcement is typically over spiritualized and anything but candid. Exodus has serious money issues and Randy is the second highest paid employee there. I’ve said for years that the best thing for both Exodus and Randy would be for him to leave and go back to school. Doodling will not do much for him in this economy, and his resume will not help with anything but another ministry gig. I do hope they treat him better than they did Mike Ensley after he was kicked out.
It’s getting so the coded language of these groups isn’t hard for smarter people to call them out on it.
I think most of all, that when one states their religious affiliation as assertively as Christians like this, they are using it as if it’s a resume of their character, therefore shouldn’t be challenged or questioned. In other words, it’s a shield against scrutiny into their actions, let alone character.
I never liked that very much. I just met some young people recently who are married to boys I knew as children. They were raised in a very insulated home schooled environment and one of their wives can barely talk about anything else but her Christianity and Scripture.
But I digress.
To say that they have a higher moral purpose and calling to do what they do, is code for : we’re on Brokeassed Mountain and can’t sustain the lifestyle to which we’ve been accustomed anymore. Eventually they are going to hook up with stronger and richer ministries or churches.
But seeing the economic issues that the Crystal Cathedral is having, or such mega church people like Eddie Long and Ted Haggard because of moral hypocrisy is sweet to me.
I don’t trust such grandiosity in the face of the financial difficulty their congregants are having. And I wonder at the need for such grand palaces in the first place.
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I’m awestruck by the beauty of some houses of worship.
And I don’t mind so much if the labors and services to build and maintain them were voluntary.
But perhaps it’s the phony seeming smiles and self importance of the leaders of entities like FOTF and Exodus and Skylight Ministries and so on that turn me off. And their ‘higher calling’ to deny women and gay people especially their humanity and inclusion at the price of civil liberty that gets my goat.
It’s all the false claims and hypocrisy that eventually more intelligent people will see for themselves.
Most of all, I’m really hating the claims that such downturns for Exodus are because of a sinister conspiracy by gay people against Exodus.
PFOX makes such claims. So does NOM.
These are not people who will be held accountable for their own moral failings and lack of insight into the intelligence of others.
So far, I don’t know or haven’t seen if Exodus IS making such claims. Or at least not anyone in their leadership. However they have supporters who DO make such claims. I just wanted to make that clarification.
I’m a little taken aback at this news, but not surprised.
Probably what his new position entails (other than a paycut) is doing all the blogging and tweeting he’s done for years, but not taking any business-paid plane rides any time soon.
I agree with David re: school, but if art school is where he wants to go, he’d better be prepared to encounter 1) high tuition bills and 2) in general, a very liberal environment.
Best of luck to Randy in his new endeavors.