I am a straight woman who has been on a long journey. I have been a Christian since the age of five. I married at the age of 27 and very shortly realized I had made a mistake. I was in a very abusive relationship in every way. During the time I was married I met a friend who is a result of my involvement today in the gay community. Frank Shears shared his story with me of how he had been sexually molested by his stepfather for many years as a young boy. He realized that he was gay, but was “healed”. He started his own ex-gay ministry under Exodus International. I became very involved in helping him. I taught support groups every week, conducted seminars and workshops. We taught that being gay was learned behaviour and you could unlearn it. After my marriage breakup I was very damaged and burned out from ministry. I was a graduate of a Foursquare Bible College and was a licensed Foursquare Minister for many years.
I met a friend at these ex-gay support groups who became a very close friend of mine for many years. He thought he was healed too, and left behind those “gay” feelings. Later he found he fell in love and lo and behold he was still “gay.” What a surprise!
As I saw him go through such a roller coaster in his faith because the church told him he was sinning and couldn’t be who he was, it caused me to question. I left the church for a lot of these reasons and searched out what did I believe. My friend went through his searching and I was involved in that journey with him. I was a part of his coming out, his questioning what the scriptures really did say about homosexuality.
I lost touch with Frank Shears for many years. Then after probably 10 years I was reunited with him. I was told he was attending Liberty Community Church (a gay affirming church) and that he was ill with AIDS and if I wanted to see him alive I should go visit this church. Well I did and we had a wonderful reunion and became very close again until he died a couple years later.
I felt very strongly impressed when I went to a couple of services at Liberty that this was where God wanted me to serve Him. I have been on the board of directors for 3 years and have assisted the Pastor in a ministerial function. I teach a course on sexuality and the Bible, helping people reconcile their Christianity with their homosexuality.
I also am on the Executive of our organization, The Evangelical Network (TEN), where our aim is to reach those who have been disenfranchised by the mainline church, damaged and rejected. As I am involved more and more in this ministry I am more convinced than ever that what I am doing is from God. When I was away from the Lord for 10 years, I was very involved in the gay community in the world. I have seen a lot and am well aware of what a gay person deals with. I believe this calling is what God had been grooming me for all these years. I believe God has a special calling for gay people and that the last move of God is and will be in the gay community.
May God richly bless you as you begin to experience His unconditional love for you.
A native of British Columbia, Elizabeth Storbo served on the boards of AIDS Vancouver and The Evangelical Network.