SATURDAY PROTEST NEEDS SUPPORT! The following message is from Wesley Celebration, who will be staging a protest at the site of the Exodus International Conference in Fresno this Saturday, April 5th. They are requesting as much presence from the community as possible in order to counter this destructive, anti-LGBT organization.
ABC Local News Story – Exodus Conference 
Dear Friends: I am writing you with great urgency. This weekend Fresno will be impacted by the Exodus International Conference, "A New Day". For those of you who don’t know, Exodus International is "The largest information and referral ministry in the world addressing homosexual issues" (their self-proclaimed title). What their title doesn’t say is that they believe through Jesus people can be healed from the bondage of homosexuality. Teachings like this often cause self-hate, self-violence, and hate crimes. Please click on READ MORE for the rest of the story…Demonstration Guidelines at the end of the article…
Tonight the 11 o’clock Top News Story was that this conference will be here Thursday through Saturday with an expected attendance of 150 people. We were able to get our message out as well that we will be demonstrating on Saturday and offering a New Way to look at the issue. Unfortunately we only had a turn out of 5 people tonight to make posters for Saturday.
Here comes my urgent request: We need bodies on Saturday. We need people who are willing to even be present for a 1/2 hour, to show the attendees of the conference that there is an alternative viewpoint. We want kids who may be brought to the conference (as young as age 13 may be registered) to see people telling them they can be a gay Christian. I know some of you are still trying to reconcile your faith, and some of you have been reconciled for years, but we need all of you. We also need our straight allies, our parents of GLBT children, PFLAG members, EVERYONE! We need to be the mentors, the witnesses, the truth that God loves "Whosoever" believes in Him! Please do not let this day pass by without making a difference in the life of someone who needs to see your face.
We will be demonstrating from 8-10am, 12-2pm, and 4:30-7pm, this Saturday, April 5th, outside The Bridge Evangelical Free Church at 3438 E. Ashlan, Fresno, 93726.
If what I have said isn’t enough to encourage you to help us demonstrate I think the following will be. The following are actual quotes from the Exodus International Site. Please read through them, pray about this weekend, and forward this E-mail on to anyone you think may participate. You forward jokes and cute pictures all of the time. Here’s a chance to forward something that could change a life.
In His Grip,
Christa Lisbon
559-300-5537
Quotes from an Introduction letter from the President of Exodus International:
"Exodus founders knew that just as God once called for the mass exodus of Israelites from
the bondage of Egypt, the Lord was calling them to organize and support one another
in an exodus from the bondage of homosexuality.
Our mission in the past was simply reaching out to those affected by unwanted
homosexuality. Today, an expanded and critical part of our mission is impacting the Body
of Christ – educating the Church on the issues of homosexuality and equipping them to
serve as God’s hands to this lost and hurting people group.
Thus, Exodus is committed to helping churches minister to those affected by unwanted homosexuality within their congregations and reaching out with a redemptive, truthful and compelling message to those involved in homosexuality."
Quotes from the Exodus Global Site (Affiliate of Exodus International):
"What do you mean when you say homosexuals can change?
By change we mean that homosexually-oriented people can:
- Change behavior — that is, stop involvement in a homosexual lifestyle.
- Reduce, manage and in some cases, practically eliminate homosexual feelings and attractions
- And in many cases (though not all), experience satisfying heterosexual relationships.
How does a homosexual person change?
We believe freedom from homosexuality is increasingly experienced as men and women mature through ongoing submission to the lordship of Christ and His Church. This transformation enables him or her to shed the old, sinful identity and in its place learn new ways of relating to self and others. Working through underlying relational and abuse problems is a significant component in this process. Making use of individual and pastoral counseling, support groups and personal Bible study. Many find a same-sex discipleship group to be beneficial.
No one is saying that change is easy. It requires strong motivation, hard work, and perseverance. But we find hundreds of former homosexuals who have found a large degree of change–attaining abstinence from homosexual behaviours, lessening of homosexual temptations, strengthening their sense of masculine or feminine identity, correcting distorted styles of relating with members of the same and opposite gender. Some former homosexuals marry and some don’t, but marriage is not the measuring stick; spiritual growth and obedience are.
Is it a sin to be sexually involved with someone of the same sex?
The Bible quite clearly says that there is only one place for sexual involvement: in a life-long, exclusive marriage commitment between one man and one woman. Anything else – pre-marital sex, sex outside of marriage, sex between two people of the same gender, sex with more than one person, etc. is considered to be sin."
Demonstration Guidelines
“It is as much my moral obligation not to cooperate with evil as it is to cooperate with good” – Ghandhi
CONTACT INFO: Christa 300-5537 Wendy 300-5865
Location: The Bridge Evangelical Free Church, 3438 East Ashlan Avenue, Fresno, CA 93726
DO NOT park in business parking lots – you may have to walk, but you MUST park on the street where there is posted parking.
We strive to be COMPLETELY PEACEFUL AND NON-VIOLENT
There may be “instigators” who want to embroil you into acts of violence or confrontation – you MUST ignore them regardless of their tactics – move towards a camera if available
ANY violence or unlawful conduct COMPLETELY DESTROYS OUR CREDIBILITY AND NEGATES OUR MESSAGE. Such behavior will regress rather than advance the cause of HUMAN RIGHTS and SPIRITUAL EQUALITY FOR ALL.
We will harbor no anger but suffer the anger of the opponent.
As a general matter, we have the right to use the public sidewalks if not preventing others from using the sidewalk. So we can hand out flyers, hold picket signs, and make speeches.
“Our role is not just to bandage the victims pulled out from under the wheel,
but to put a spike in the wheel itself…” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
