There has been some posting on this site and around the web about whether or not certain ex-ex-gays were ever involved with the founding of various organizations such as Love in Action or Exodus.
In his 1995 testimony, Frank Worthen takes credit for almost single handedly founding Love In Action, Exodus, and even seems to claim co-authorship of Phillpot’s book The Third Sex.
At Michael’s suggestion, I made a testimony tape to reach out to people who were trapped in the homosexual life-style. I decided to advertise the tape in the worst sex paper in town. The ad read: “Do you want out of homosexuality? Send for a Brother Frank tape on a Christ-centered way out of homosexuality.” During the first year of its run, my ad brought in 60 people who wanted out of homosexuality! Men in my own church sought me out for counseling on leaving homosexuality. After a while, I started meeting with these men on Saturdays.
Eventually, the Lord put me in contact with a pastor who needed help in counseling homosexuals. Since he was a writer, he and I produced a book called “The Third Sex?” (the first Christian book on homosexuality). Going all over the English-speaking world, that book generated an average of 200 letters a month.
Though I’d had no intention of leaving my business, the Lord impressed me with the need to enter ministry full-time. Thus, Love In Action began with weekly support group meetings.
After a little time had passed, I received a distraught phone call from Barbara Johnson, a woman in Los Angeles. Barbara’s son had entered the homosexual life-style, but the ex-gay ministry there didn’t offer ministry to parents. This was the first time I’d ever heard of any ex-gay ministry besides Love In Action! Intrigued, I hopped a plane the next morning and went down to see them.
When I met with the ministry down there, we wondered if any other ex-gay ministries existed. We didn’t really know how to find out, but we managed to locate a number of ex-gay ministries around the world. So, in the middle of 1976, we had our first conference. Sixty people, representing twelve ministries, attended. Exodus was born!
While I was unable to find a reference to any founders at the website of Exodus International, the site for Love In Action / Refuge only lists Worthen as the founder.
I know that Warren Throckmorton is trying to determine the accuracy of the claims that founders of various ex-gay groups reverted to being gay. As this is most likely to result in an article claiming that the ex-ex-gay community is dishonest, anyone with information that counters the claims by Worthen should be certain that Warren is aware of that information before he writes his article.
(Warren, if it turns out that Worthen, LIA/R, or other ex-gays are not telling the truth, I hope you will be willing to report that as well.)
That is my intention. In my conversations with Frank, he does not come across as seeking status. But I do want to talk to as many people as will talk with me who were there. There may be irreconcilable differences of perspective but I will report what I learn.
I don’t imagine he would want to. This is a time in his life when he left a 10 year relationship only to watch his former husband die a broken man, suggested a ministry to Kent Philpott that would wind up creating unattainable expectations in his best friend, Jack McIntyre, that caused him to take his own life in failure, only to wind up spending years counseling LIA dropouts.
The early days of Love in Action, and an interview with Frank about those days, comprise pp 9-40 in the 1989 book ExGays? There are none by Sylvia Pennington. According to that book, Frank Worthen and an unnamed lesbian, showed up about six months after Evans and Philpott began discussing ministries to gays, when Philpott was pastoring the Open Door Church in Mill Valley, California.
Was that what he told you in your conversation? Instead of telling us what he said, you’ve posted about what you believe are his motivations.
Oh yeesss PBC — I’d forgotten Rev. Pennington had something to say on that.BTW Warren, perhaps you should read her book before continuing. Pennington was up to her armpits in exgay/change ministries before her epiphany. Have no idea where she may be reached, or even if she’s still around. You should also wish to contact Jeremy Marks at Courage (and please do tell him which position you’ve been adopting on this subject).
Actually, Rev. Pennington died of congestive heart failure in 1991. But her church, Lambda Christian Fellowship is still around, I think.
The church was located in Hawthorne, and was very active in publishing in the late 80s and early 90s. I tried to find it several weeks ago, but lost the trail of it around 1999.
I’m sorry to hear of her passing. She was a brave woman.
EXODUS Global Aliance also names Frank Worthen as the one who organized the first EXODUS conference in Anaheim CA in 1976 — implying that he did it single-handedly. This is not true. Frank didn’t organize it. Jim Kaspar, Gary Cooper and I did. Frank attended as a delegate, along with about 60 others.
Frank’s ministry, Love In Action, was already underway when we hosted EXODUS in 1976. The EXODUS Global Alliance website also states it was called EXODUS International North America. Also not correct. It was simply called “EXODUS”. The “North America” came years later.
I have repeatedly asked Alan Chambers or EXODUS to correct the website, to no avail.