Around this time last year, Living Hope Ministries was preparing for a 35th anniversary of its work. The organization sprung out of First Baptist Church of Arlington, Texas, and according to its website, its mission is “to proclaim God’s truth as we journey with those seeking sexual and relational wholeness through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Like most nonprofit mission statements, this one from Living Hope Ministries doesn’t exactly illuminate the day-to-day work of the organization. I think for Living Hope, this vagueness is intentional.
Jonatjhan Greer
I know all too well what Living Hope Ministries does. When I was a grad student at Baylor University, I had several friends who had gone to Living Hope Ministries through their involvement with Antioch Community Church in Waco. By the time I met these friends, they were navigating some deep church trauma thanks to Antioch and Living Hope. I heard their stories and experiences, and I was shocked by what I heard.
I also was reminded by how close I was to having stories that aligned with my friends. When I was finishing my undergraduate at Baylor, I also was coming to terms with my sexuality. It was a delicate time for my spirituality as I reckoned with what I had been taught about sexuality versus what I was feeling deep in my soul.
This is my story
I knew I was gay, but it seemed so contrary to biblical teachings. I sought out books from Exodus International, the granddaddy of evangelical parachurch ministries helping people “overcome” same-sex attraction. Founded in 1976, Exodus International had grown to be the most prominent conversion therapy organization, and when I was coming out, it seemed like the place to turn.
“I realized what I knew deep in my soul could not be labeled a ‘lifestyle choice’ or something to be overcome.”
Except, I didn’t. After reading a book by one of their leaders, I realized what I knew deep in my soul could not be labeled a “lifestyle choice” or something to be overcome.
I heard stories from a friend from childhood who ended up at an intensive six-month Exodus International camp. Had I come out a few years earlier, that very well could have been my story too. My parents opted to attend Exodus International conferences to somehow pray my gay away, but I resisted the movement, and my life is better for it.
This is the story of my friends
Living Hope Ministries is a younger sibling organization within the legacy of Exodus International. They might use vague mission statements, but they are in the business of conversion therapy. My friends at Baylor had attended their conferences, classes and retreats, and the trauma they had experienced was raw. Two dabbled in and out of the ministry for several years before finally leaving for good yet still had dear friends sucked into the vortex of shame Living Hope created.
That culture of shame is still alive and well thanks to some powerful partner churches to support them financially, including Denton Bible Church, Park Cities Presbyterian Church, The Village Church, Gateway Church and Antioch Community Church.
In 2013, Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, shut down the organization. His decision was based on his conviction that conversion therapy, the crux of Exodus International’s work, was harmful and ineffective. He called out what my friends and I already knew. Conversion therapy is bullshit.
But it’s so much more than bullshit. It’s trauma that sticks with members of the LGBTQ community long after they’ve experienced its toxic theology. It’s harm that leaves emotional and often physical scars that remain years and decades later. It’s spiritual warfare that leaves LGBTQ folk fearful of any faith community or church.
I know these things are true because I’ve heard firsthand stories from my friends who experienced the depth of despair thanks to conversion therapy organizations.
“I’ve heard firsthand stories from my friends who experienced the depth of despair thanks to conversion therapy.”
The dogma of Exodus International is the same Living Hope Ministries is still schilling today. If you love Jesus enough, you can “overcome same sex attraction.” And if you are still being “tempted” by sexual attraction outside of the heteronormative standards they provide, you just aren’t loving Jesus enough.
Spiritual warfare
And this is why I call conversion therapy spiritual warfare.
I, along with countless other Christian LGBTQ individuals, love Jesus. And unlike those who wield conversion therapy recklessly and without accountability, LGBTQ Christians have done some damn hard work overcoming the toxic theology of their youth.
This tough and arduous work is necessary not only for LGBTQ folk to love themselves, but to understand a grace- and love-filled Jesus who accepts them for who they were created to be. I’d argue LGBTQ Christians have a healthier understanding of the expansiveness of divine love than anyone running or supporting Living Hope Ministries.
Chiles v. Salazar
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Chiles v. Salazar, a case out of Colorado regarding a Christian therapist who claims her First Amendment rights are being violated by Colorado’s law banning conversion therapy. The case has drawn lines that are to be expected. The therapist’s lawyers, along with the Trump administration, claim there are no studies that prove conversion therapy causes harm. Colorado’s attorney has provided countless evidence to the contrary.
You can guess how this played out. Justice Amy Coney Barrett questioned whether conversion therapy really does cause harm. Justice Samuel Alito Jr. said the Colorado law “looks like blatant viewpoint discrimination.” The liberal judges challenged the lawyers arguing for the unconstitutionality of the law, but their queries seem hopeless.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a constitutional scholar or expert, but from the commentary from legal experts after the oral arguments, it seems highly likely we’ll get a ruling in June that will strike down Colorado’s law. This ruling will endanger or automatically void laws in 19 other states that ban conversion therapy.
Of course, Living Hope Ministries won’t be impacted since it is securely walled off thanks to conservative leadership in Texas, but this ruling could endanger countless lives in other states across the country. This will directly impact youth in these states who were made safer by laws like those in Colorado.
“This ruling could endanger countless lives in other states across the country.”
If I’m being honest, I gave up hope for this current construction of the Supreme Court to protect LGBTQ youth a long time ago. I don’t know if it’s a lack of lived experience or just a bankruptcy of empathy, but the conservative majority on the high court just doesn’t give a damn about vulnerable kids.
I’m not sure if I’m angry or just exhausted. It is very easy to get bogged down by the constant erosion of progress. The conservative evangelical warriors trained up by the likes of James Dobson, Josh McDowell, Exodus International and Living Hope Ministries are racking up victory after victory.
This is the good news
But here’s the good news: As a Christian, my hope and faith are not wrapped up in courts, laws and government. That’s not to say we shouldn’t be out in the public square fighting for the rights of all individuals, but there’s work to be done in our own faith communities.
We’ve got to start talking about sexuality at our churches. Our children and youth need to be taught healthy sexuality through amazing programs like OWL (Our Whole Lives). And education doesn’t end at age 18. Many of the adults in our pews never have had proper study about godly sexuality. This blind spot is preventing us from creating a full-throated rebuttal to harmful groups like Living Hope Ministries.
The Christian call to compassion and support for LGBTQ youth and adults is more vital than ever. We won’t know until June 2026 how this case turns out, but sitting around and worrying about it is not an option. We must heed the call to love one another as Christ Jesus taught us, and this includes supporting vulnerable LGBTQ individuals as they feel disheartened and forgotten by our nation.
And it wouldn’t hurt to say a prayer for those who run Living Hope Ministries that they would turn from their wicked ways. After all, 12 years ago, the conversion therapy godfather, Exodus International, was dismantled from within because of the conviction of its leader.
Through God, all things are possible. Just keep remembering that God is love, and we are here to spread that good and absolutely fabulous news.
Jonathan Greer is based in Dallas. He is a recent graduate of Brite Divinity School and is an active professional musician in the DFW Metroplex. He serves on the board of Vox Peregrini, a pilgrimage choir, and has a passion for justice and advocacy. Jonathan is currently in discernment regarding the next steps of his ministry journey.
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