Love Won Out Conference

Last weekend, I attended a conference called Love Won Out, by a great organization called Focus on the Family. The conference deals with the issue of homosexuality from a Christian worldview and it was is Portland last weekend.

I decided to go because I have been challenged and even frustrated at how the church deals with homosexuality, or should I say, how it doesn't deal with it. A speaker told a story of how one gay man received Christ after hearing the gospel message on TV and the next Sunday went to local church to ask for help. The pastor's response to his face was, "there's no place for f*gs here." I know that is appalling and we would never say anything like that, but what will it take for the church to actually tackle issues in our society that are so foundational in showing the world who Christ really is. The church was given a chance to step up and show Christ love to dying people during the AIDS epidemic but what it choose to do was condemn the dying instead.

The conference renewed my hope that people can and do change in this area. I have walked along side men and women who desired to leave their homosexual lifestyles with deep hope that they would find victory. I know it's possible because I've seen it. But, like all life change, it can't happen outside of a community of grace and truth. I hope the church will become that type of community for all people.