Farewell, Exodus International. You Will Not Be Missed.

Rachel Held Evans breaks the big announcement:

Update: Exodus International announces it is shutting down

Wow.

It takes a lot of guts to issue an apology as honest and as public as this one from Alan Chambers of Exodus International.

An excerpt:

Recently, I have begun thinking again about how to apologize to the people that have been hurt by Exodus International through an experience or by a message. I have heard many firsthand stories from people called ex-gay survivors. Stories of people who went to Exodus affiliated ministries or ministers for help only to experience more trauma. I have heard stories of shame, sexual misconduct, and false hope. In every case that has been brought to my attention, there has been swift action resulting in the removal of these leaders and/or their organizations. But rarely was there an apology or a public acknowledgement by me.

Read the rest: Alan Chambers of Exodus International Apologizes to LGBT Community.

I didn’t have much contact with anyone from EI. I once sat on a panel with a couple of “ex-gays” at the Cornerstone Festival in 2009; I wrote about that here. With all due respect to that man and that woman and their struggles, it seemed clear to me that they were still gay.

Honestly, the closing of EI is a huge step in the direction of love and acceptance in the evangelical community. I hope it will be seen as such by those predisposed to dislike all Christians, like Dan Savage.