July 12, 2012

Dr. Michael Horton, professor of theology and apologetics at Westminster Seminary in California was also asked by Christianity Today to respond to Alan Chambers’ theological statements from a Christian Reformed point of view. Dr. Horton concludes with two solid points. First, “It is one of the most obvious teachings in the New Testament that without repentance no one can be saved.” Second, “It’s precisely because our bodies are too important to the biblical drama that they cannot be exempted from biblical discipleship.” A couple excerpts from Dr. Horton’s article “Let’s Not Cut Christ to Pieces” follows: (more…)

July 12, 2012

Dr. Ben Witherington, professor of New Testament for doctoral studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, agrees that “Robert Gagnon has a right to be disturbed about Mr. Chambers‘s recent pronouncements. It is not an act of compassion to encourage people to embrace a view of salvation or sexual behavior that requires less in regard to holiness than both Jesus and Paul required of us. Indeed, it is recipe for disaster.”

Christianity Today asked Dr. Witherington to respond to the theological debate Dr. Gagnon initiated from a Wesleyan Arminian point of view. More excerpts from his essay “‘Behavior Doesn’t Interrupt Your Relationship with Christ’: A Recipe for Disaster” follow: (more…)

July 14, 2012

The following is a Press Release by First Stone Ministries:

Press Release: FSM No Longer an Exodus Ministry

Many of you may know that for 36 years, First Stone Ministries has been affiliated with Exodus International, a network of ministries that all proclaim freedom from homosexuality through relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the last several months, the leadership of First Stone Ministries has become increasingly aware of some changes in Exodus’s ideology and leadership that have resulted in us feeling we are unable to continue as an Exodus Member ministry while maintaining Biblical integrity and a clear conscience before God. In April, First Stone officially resigned as an Exodus Member ministry. (more…)

July 14, 2012

Excerpts from the the Christian Post article “Interview: Alan Chambers Talks Gay ‘Cure,’ Salvation for Homosexuals.”:

Christian Post: “I believe you mentioned before that everyone at Exodus, the board, agree to the changes you made at Exodus. A New York Times story mentioned though that there is a growing schism within the network and I’m not sure if he was referring to Exodus or to all groups similar to yours. I wanted you to clarify if there is a schism. What kind of response have you been getting after the changes (to halt reparative therapy)?”

Alan Chambers: “…We’ve had 12 ministries leave our network in the last six weeks or so. So there is some disagreement over a number of different things. I don’t think it can boil down to one issue over another but I think there is some disagreement. But out of 270 or so organizations that are still a part of Exodus, 12 leaving is sad for sure but people have to do what they have to do. It’s not any different than something like a split that we see happen in churches all the time.” (more…)

July 12, 2012

Here are some excerpts from the Christianity Today article by Weston Gentry titled, “Exodus International’s Alan Chambers Accused of Antinomian Theology:”

“‘It’s not that he is simply not saying the warnings [against homosexual activity] in Scripture. I could live with that,’ Pittsburgh Theological Seminary professor Robert Gagnon said of Chambers’s recent comments. ‘It’s that he is saying the exact opposite of what Scripture clearly teaches … . He’s preaching an anti-gospel.’”

“The theological heresy in question is antinomianism. The term was coined by Martin Luther to refer to those who believe that since faith is sufficient for salvation, Christians are not obligated to keep God’s moral law.” (more…)

July 10, 2012

Jeff Buchanan, vice president of Exodus International has written an article on sexual identity and being a Christian that was published by The Gospel Coalition.

Here is an excerpt of Jeff Buchanan’s article: – “This sexual identity crisis has breached the church where labels such as “gay Christian” and “gay celibate Christian” are becoming more commonly used and accepted. Some Christians with same-sex attractions now say the evolution of common vernacular makes it acceptable to adopt these terms as accurately describing their experience. But are such labels compatible with our identity in Christ? Do they draw us closer to Christ? Here are six points for us to consider.” (more…)

July 10, 2012

The following letter is no longer on the Desert Stream Ministries website but can be found on the Americans for Truth about Homosexuality website.

Recently Desert Stream Ministries published a letter outlining foundational disagreements with Exodus International’s new grace theology, which mirrors Rev. Clark Whitten’s theology. Desert Stream Ministries also is in disagreement with Exodus International abandoning the clinical science that has helped people with unwanted same-sex attraction to change their sexual orientation in varying degrees. The letter in its entirety follows: (more…)

July 10, 2010

Exodus International president Alan Chambers appeared on MSNBC Hardball July 9, 2012 with Chris Matthews. The MSNBC host referred to homosexuality as an innate condition and reparative therapy as “pray away the gay.”

Chambers claimed his problem with reparative therapy was that its focus has changed to claim a 100 percent cure of homosexual attractions and the use of heterosexual pornography by some therapists as a tool to instigate heterosexual attraction. (more…)

June 30, 2012

In a 35 page treatise theological professor Robert A. J. Gagnon has called for a change of leadership at Exodus International. Gagnon stated that Alan Chambers has propagated a false gospel of grace by “Assuring Gay Christians a Place in Heaven Irrespective of Repentance” (page 4-9). Gagnon stated that his “disagreement with Alan Chambers does not boil down to a difference of opinion regarding eternal security. It boils down to a difference over whether, as Calvin says, one can separate ‘free remission of sins … from the Spirit of regeneration.’ Calvin, though holding a perseverance view, would say that people like Alan who think that such a separation can take place have ‘torn Christ apart’” (page 9). (more…)

June 30, 2012

An article in The Gospel Coalition by Justin Taylor looks at Robert Gagnon’s and Denny Burke’s criticism of Alan Chambers new approach to the gay community. Gagnon argues that “Alan’s assurances to ‘gay Christians’ are the antithesis of how Paul operated with regard to a case of sexual immorality in the church at Corinth.” Burke argues that “Chambers still affirms a biblical sexual ethic. He simply argues that Christians can ignore that ethic and still be considered Christians.”

The article can be found at http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2012/06/30/robert-gagnons-critique-of-alan-chambers-and-the-new-direction-of-exodus-international/.