February 18, 2013

The following text was transcribed from Exodus International’s “Question of the Week – Gay Marriage?” video featuring Alan Chambers: “Each week we get a number of important questions that come into our office. This week the important question we decided to answer is – Does Exodus International have a policy on gay marriage? And the answer is no, we don’t. If you remember a number of years ago we were involved in public policy. About five years ago we decided that that was a major distraction for us, frankly, at Exodus International for a number of reasons.”

“First and foremost, we found the amount of energy and money being spent to fight against same-sex marriage was a poor comparison to the money and the time and the energy that was being spent serving people in need. Often times we have said that we have an angry and bitter gay rights movement because we in the church have created it. At Exodus International we don’t want to be a part of stigmatizing or divisive debate. We want to be about an ongoing conversation with our neighbors.”

“Whether our neighbors agree with us or not isn’t important. The fact of the matter is that relationship with people is. That’s what Jesus has called us to do at Exodus International. To be part of a long conversation, not a raging debate. I hope you as believers will follow that lead, realizing that it is more important for us to be in people’s lives; to live our faith and to share our lives with others. That’s what we’re about at Exodus International. For more information on our vision concerning 2013 and beyond or some more information on these points that I have highlighted you can go to the Exodus blog and look at our vision for 2013.” (Ex-gay Truth has transcribed Exodus International’s blog with the 2013 vision.)

[Editor’s note: PFOX which supports traditional marriage and opposes gay marriage has pointed out that Exodus International is still involved in public policy debates. Also, in Exodus International’s vision for 2013 Alan Chambers stated their leaders “desire to be in the public square, to share our thoughts and views in the media.” Logically, any position taken on gay marriage is an involvement in the public policy debate. A Christian organization stating they have no position on gay marriage, can and will be interpreted as stating they believe gay marriage is not in opposition to the commands of God in the Bible. Even a non-position becomes a public policy position in controversial issues.]