Out-of-the-closet Friday: Leading Christian Author Reveals He’s Gay

AFTER living for ‘many days overwhelmed by fear, shame, and self-hatred,’ well-known Christian children’s book author Matthew Paul Turner today (Friday) came out as gay on social media and announced that he and his wife are divorcing.

Turner’s books include When I Pray for You (2019) and When God Made You, an Evangelical Christian Publishing Association bestseller.

Turner said on Instagram:

Dear friends, I have difficult news to share. After much thought, prayer, and counseling, Jessica and I have made the decision to end our marriage,. While we’re best friends and thoroughly love doing life, parenting, and pursuing our dreams together, ending our marriage is necessary because I am gay.

As someone who spent 30+ years in fundamentalist/evangelical churches, exploring God through conservative theologies, I’ve lived many days overwhelmed by fear, shame, and self-hatred. But for the first time in my life, despite the sadness and grief I’m feeling right now, I can say with confidence that I’m ready to embrace freedom, hope, and God as a gay man.

Turner has been described as:

One of the most influential progressive Christian voices in media.

The author of 16 books including The Christian Culture Survival Guide, The Coffeehouse Gospel, and Provocative Faith, Turner previously served as the entertainment editor for Crosswalk and was a frequent contributor to Relevant magazine.

I’m betting that once the enormity of his coming out sinks in with parents who have bought his books for their fledgling Christian sprogs, there will be bonfires all over the country. Messages of discontent are already being posted beneath the Christian Post report.

One person named Dennis Perry suggested he be referred to a “pray-away-the-gay” outfit called Regeneration, which runs:

Christ-centered programs designed specifically to help you experience transformation in the area of sexual sin.

Sounds a lot like the UK’s troubled Core Issues Trust, run by ‘ex-gay’ charlatan Mike Davidson, above. With luck it will soon be out of business.

In calling for thoughts and prayers, another called James Robinson, PhD, blathered:

Jessica said they are adjusting to a ‘new normal’. It is not the new normal, it is the new abnormal. Matthew is unfaithful to his wife with his homosexual lifestyle. As a pastor for more than 30 years and dealing with couples who divorce, I have found that all adultery and unfaithfulness is rooted in the sin of either one or both person’s selfishness. In this case it seems Matthew is the selfish one …

The increasing cases of people departing the faith, embracing homosexuality, and the rise of pedophiles among church leaders is proof that much of what the church and parachurch organizations have been doing and promoting is apostasy.

The proof is the fruit of apostasy: destroyed Christian lives, marred testimonies, and hurting and confusing believers as they see leaders depart and renounce their faith with their public embracing of sin. Jude 1:17-25. Let us pray for Matthew’s repentance.

Jessica Turner, who is also an author and founder of the blog The Mom Creative, wrote in a Facebook post:

We are moving forward with ending our marriage, while remaining deeply committed to our family and each other. We are all adjusting to a new normal, with our home now extended under two rooftops.

The Nashville-based couple, who married in 2004, have three children together.

Jessica Turner added:

We have worked for more than a year on trying to make our marriage work, even in light of Matthew’s truth, but it wasn’t healthy or fair to us or our children. We feel confident that this is the next right step for each of us and our family.

In his statement, Turner wrote of Jessica:

I fell in love with her 17 years ago and still love her deeply. Despite her own grief and pain, she has loved and encouraged me to be fully me. Our utmost desire is to move forward in love and compassion for each other and put the well-being of our kids first. Coming out to my kids was one of the hardest, most beautiful things I’ve ever done. Loving and protecting their stories will always be our first priority