Part   I - Firmness in Truth - Nonviolent Response

Part  II - Jerry Falwell's friend Michael Johnston

Part III - Love Your Children,  Love Won Out

Part  IV - Matthew 5:38-48, Romans 12:14-21

Part   V - SoulForce Principles & Bridges-Across

Epilogue - From a Ministry Director to Chuck Colson

I do not know if Jerry Falwell’s recent satellite address to Michael Johnston's NCOHD (National Coming Out of Homosexuality Day) event in San Francisco was done as a close friend or without knowing much about Johnston. Since I specialize in dialogue with exgays, I do know of Johnston, and of Peter Labarbera, editor of Lambda Report and of Culture Facts, a weekly publication of the Family Research Council (FRC). I know that Johnston and Labarbera have worked together prior to Lynchburg, and that FRC's press release about the event features the question that LaBarbera asked of Mel during the press conference.

Jerry Falwell brought the exgay issue into the event in such a way that the Lynchburg200 was blindsided. Falwell apparently took an "easier to ask forgiveness than permission" approach. Michael Johnston spoke at the press conference on Saturday and again on Sunday at the Thomas Road Baptist Church.

Mel would not have consented to Michael Johnston's participation, introducing the volatile issue of exgays into an anti-violence forum. Mel is accountable to the Lynchburg200. They are not simply "White's followers" as they have been referred to in the press. Many are leaders within faith communities in Virginia and from across the country.

I can envision a different event that *does* have exgay participation, but it would be designed that way from the beginning. 

I am the cofounder of Bridges Across the Divide, an Internet dialogue now in its fourth year, among gays, pro-gays, exgays, and pro-exgays. I do not consider the life journeys of exgays a threat to gay people. It is only little-t-untruths about them, or untruthful generalizations, which are a concern. About Big-T-Truths, about God’s opinion of gay relationships and His role in fluidity of sexual attractions, we'll need to agree to disagree. 

To ward off a deluge of "there are no exgays" mail, and because there is no easily understood short substitute for the term, I present the definition which I use, which was developed for the Bridges-Across glossary with the help of Mike Jones, an exgay ministry director in Lansing, Michigan.

"Exgays are people who have experienced same gender sexual attraction (sga) and who, for religious or other reasons, have chosen not to embrace a gay identity. 'Ex-gay' does not necessarily imply past same gender behavior (sgb) nor does it specify the degree of significant change in same gender sexual attraction."

The exgays I work with have integrity. They know what it was to grow up gay. They will explain what they mean by the word "change." If we planned a conference together they could be trusted to follow through on commitments, without surprises.

Like Barbara Chandler, editor of the gay and lesbian spirituality website, I believe that exgays can be allies in stopping the hate.

I am convinced that dialogue which moves toward understanding among gays, exgays, and ex-exgays is necessary in our mutual struggle against hate and victim wars. As the exgay cofounder of Bridges-Across once wrote to Steve Schalchlin, "I go as far as I can - then I reach. If you reach too, we can touch." 

Blindsided

Salon has the most comprehensive report on the Lynchburg event. It reports on the anger of the Lynchburg200 at the surprise appearance of Michael Johnston.

Salon article, page 2: 
After asserting that his 'ultimate goal is to bring [homosexuals] out of the lifestyle and into the Lord,' Falwell infuriated White and his supporters by introducing Michael Johnston, founder of Kerusso Ministries, a ministry that attempts to convert gay people to heterosexuality via 'treatments' that the American Psychiatric Association has condemned.

Johnston spoke of his twin journeys out of drug addiction and homosexuality, which he now looks back on as equally depraved, and urged listeners to follow him. On October 11, Johnston's message, given in San Francisco to coincide with National Coming Out Day, was squelched by a well-aimed blueberry pie delivered by two members of ACT UP and the Biotic Baking Brigade. This time his reception was less fruity, but no warmer. Creech labeled Johnston's comments 'spiritual violence' and following the press conference a shocked White, red in the face, informed Falwell's associates that if Johnston spoke at Falwell's church service the next morning, White and his followers would walk out.

Falwell later told White he didn't know anything about Johnston or Kerusso Ministries, and asserted that Johnston had approached him that day and asked to appear at the press conference to tell his story. Likewise, Falwell asserted that the anti-gay rhetoric disseminated in his recent fund-raising letters and on his web page (including such choice nuggets as 'the America [homosexuals] demand is a sewer of moral filth ... an environment that's incredibly dangerous to our children ... a culture that despises Christian faith and morality') were neither written nor approved by him. Falwell's refusal to accept responsibility echoed a similar denial he issued last year when his organization was widely derided for stating that handbag- toting Teletubby Tinky Winky is a recruiting tool for gays."

Falwell called Johnston "his close friend" when speaking by satellite to the San Francisco event. [ See Ken McPherson's report .] 

When Mel and his partner Gary Nixon exited from the press conference, I asked them if they had known that Michael would speak. They said no, and neither had Mark DeMoss, with whom they had planned the event. 

I told Mel of the Salon article and he sent me a clarification to pass along to Salon.

Mel White:
It was Mark DeMoss, the chair of the press conference, who told me that he 'had no idea that Michael was on the panel.' Mark had no chair set for Michael, no name plaque in place. Mark was stunned. Ron Godwin, Jerry's assistant, also seemed stunned. The issue was NOT that Jerry didn't know Michael Johnston. It was that Mark (my connection and liaison to Jerry), didn't know Michael was on the panel and thus didn't warn us.

I don't think Jerry lied about anything. 

Michael was (and continues to be) Jerry's 'out' with his extremist supporters. It's sad. But when I figure the progress over against the sadness, I still rejoice. Love, Mel

Kerusso ministries is not affiliated with Exodus International. Johnston does not believe in the psychological theories that Exodus teaches. Kerusso is a speaking ministry rather than a support group ministry.

Johnston does speaking engagements. He has been on at least one tour sponsored by the American Family Association. He has made a video and a 17 minute radio presentation. Johnston and his mother appeared in both print and television ads developed by the Campaign for Reclaiming America, and he has been a speaker at Reclaiming America conferences.

NCOHD is a project of Kerusso Ministries . The website has a list of national sponsors of NCOHD, including Exodus International North America. However, the website appears not to have been updated since 1998. 

NCOHD press conferences in Washington, DC, launched, in 1996, Parents and Friends of Exgays ( PFOX ), and, in 1998, the exgay television commercials. LaBarbera and Robert Knight, Cultural Studies Director of the FRC, were participants in the 1997 NCOHD event at Harvard.

In 1999, there was not the organized activity that occurred in previous years. Bob Van Domelen, whose Broken Yoke ministry appears on the National Sponsors list for NCOHD, informs me that in 1999, aside from an email asking whether or not ministries were in support of NCOHD, he received no other notices of planned activities, statements, public announcements, etc. Van Domelen writes that Broken Yoke supports the concept of NCOHD but does not stand behind the comments and activities of Michael Johnston in toto. Bob Davies, executive director of Exodus International North America writes that Exodus NA was a cosponsor of NCOHD last year, 1998. They support the concept of the event, and several local affiliates sponsor activities related to this day and this support should not be construed as a blanket endorsement of all that Michael Johnston says and does.

After the October 11 NCOHD event in San Francisco, Johnston went to Greeley, CO, to tell his life story and speak against the proposed anti-discrimination ordinance that was coming up on the ballot. According to an article in the October 17 Greeley Tribune, "If passed, the proposal would prohibit discrimination in jobs, housing and public accommodations based on a variety of characteristics, including race, age, sexual orientation, disability and religion. Proponents of the ordinance would not discuss Johnston's visit because they said it's irrelevant to the ordinance."

Johnston and Peter LaBarbera made news last spring by passing out airsick bags at the stockholders meeting for American Airlines, in opposition to domestic partnership benefits for airline employees.

LaBarbera asked the second question at the Lynchburg press conference, quoting from White's book, Stranger at the Gate. The quote is given in the FRC report on the event. Falwell defended Mel after LaBarbera's question. In responding to LaBarbera, Falwell said, more than once, that he had not brought that up to Mel, because Mel had already acknowledged that he, like Falwell, had made statements that had gone too far and apologized for them. 

The anti-violence forum was about lowering the rhetoric on both sides of the divide. 

Next ... Love Your Children, Love Won Out