Last week, Exodus International, the oldest and largest Christian ministry dealing with faith and homosexuality announced that it is closing after 37 years of ministry.
The announcement came less than a day after Exodus released a statement apologizing to the gay community for years of undue judgment by the organization and the Christian Church as a whole.
Founded 1976 in Orlando, Florida, Exodus was based on the concept of helping gay identified individuals and provide them reparative therapy as a means to cure them of their sexuality.
Alan Chambers, the president of Exodus International, apologized to homosexuals who suffered "trauma" because of efforts to change their sexual preferences. Chambers had already stated that he did not think homosexuality could be "cured." His stand on that issue had already caused some Evangelicals to leave Exodus International and affiliate with other groups.
The announcement also made reference to reducefear.org as a possible new ministry. The website says it is "under development" and requests interested visitors to provide their names and email addresses.
Another group devoted to providing support for people seeking to overcome same-sex attraction said that it would continue its efforts. The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) said that it “continues to affirm that the experience of thousands of clients with unwanted homosexual attraction and the licensed therapists who serve them demonstrates that trained, experienced, and ethical professional clinicians play a vital role in successful treatment processes.”
