ALOU2A Life of Unlearning

News for readers & interested people

Greetings!
Final preparations as I head off to the US today.

Lots for you in this newsletter

1. Why Australian Pentecostals will Embrace GLBT People
2. Gay Press Reports on Bayside
3. Samesame nominations closing
4. USA Conference
5. Freedom 2 b[e] Anniversary Dinner & Party
6. 'Ex-gay' survivor research - Australia
7. Videos - latest Rumours, Rumours, Rumours

 Enjoy


Anthony Venn-Brown
Gay Ambassador (amongst other things)


In This Issue
Aussie Pentecostals
Gay Press on Bayside
Nominations Closing
USA Conference
Dinner & Party
Ex-gay Survivors Needed
Rumours, Rumours, Rumours
Social Networking
Coaching
Quick Links
Website
GLB? Coaching
Blog
Three Free Chapters
Ex-gay Oz & NZ
The Great Heresy
Creating Change
Freedom 2 b[e] Forum
1. Why Australia's Pentecostals Will Embrace GLBT People

gay pentecostals

It's inevitable that Australian Pentecostal Churches will welcome gay and lesbian Christians.Let me say that again. It's inevitable that Australian Pentecostal Churches will welcome gay and lesbian Christians.

When I first made that statement to a church leader in 2005 he laughed. 'That will never happen', he replied. At that stage I had nothing to base that statement on except two things.

1.        A faith in a God that can transform His people and that His church so they can be as He intended; a place of love and acceptance not condemnation and judgement.

2.        A faith in Pentecostal people. I've been involved in Pentecostal circles for four decades now and in essence I know that they are good people, not evil. They may not always have got it right but my belief is that in the end sanity will prevail re sexuality as it has about numerous other issues. (see below)

I firmly believe that the question is no longer a matter of 'if' Pentecostals will welcome GLBT people, but 'when' and 'how'. I keep reminding church leaders, who are prepared to dialogue with me that it's about how we manage the change. What can we learn from other denominations that have made the shift successfully as well as those who are splitting at the seams, like the Anglican Church? What aided the transition? What created polarisation and caused the damage?

A substantial number of people in Pentecostal congregations now believe that homosexuality is a sexual orientation not a sin.  I've spoken to or received emails from so many people who have gay men or lesbians as friends and relatives and know, without a shadow of doubt, that homosexuality is not a 'lifestyle choice'. They would not expect them to change who they are and it's offensive to them to even consider such a thing.

Australian Church Life Survey Reveals the Shift

Traditional teaching about homosexuality within Pentecostal churches in Australia was quite simple: it's a sin, demonic and lifestyle choice. Pentecostal people, like mental health professionals in the 50's & 60's, believed that homosexuality could be cured or healed. It's not that long ago that if you asked anyone in Australian Pentecostal churches these two questions the answer would be a resounding, non-equivocal NO.

1.        Should homosexuals be appointed to leadership positionsin the church on the same basis as heterosexuals?

2.        Should homosexuals be accepted as members in the church on the same basis as heterosexuals?

In 2001 a survey was conducted by the National Church Life Survey, across a number of denominations, to gauge congregant's attitudes towards homosexual people. In that survey, when asked anonymously, 21% of Pentecostals said YES to the first question and 54% said YES to the second question. Things are no longer as they were.

2. Gay Press Reports on Bayside Church

You can read the two articles by clicking on the links below

  1. Church advocates for gay acceptance

  2. 'World first' as Pentecostals welcome gays

If you haven't heard the message yet here is what you do.

1. Go to this page
2. At the bottom of the page it says Bayside Church Message of the Week Real Christianity is Accepting - Presented by Ps Rob Buckingham
3. Right click on 877RealChristianityisAccepting17-10-2009pm.mp3 and select save as
4. Save it to your desktop or folder
5. Play it and it will be put in your Itunes or Windows music automatically.

Help desk over and out.

3. Samesame 25 Nominations Closing
Nominations for Samesame list of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians will be closing shortly.

Now in its third year, the Same Same 25 is an annual list of the next generation of gay and lesbian role models. The members of the Same Same 25 over the previous two years have included high profile names like Justice Michael Kirby, Olympian Matt Mitcham, TV host Ruby Rose and lesser-known people like schoolteacher Andrew Benson and community leader Siri May.

The annual announcement attracts a flurry of media activity and pulls the 25 members into the well-deserved spotlight.

The Same Same 25 for 2009 will look back at the past twelve months, and the people and issues that have shaped our year. The Same Same 25 is nominated by the Australian public, and chosen by a panel of community leaders. The final list of the 25 will be announced in early December.

Nominations received online through their site here. http://www.samesame.com.au/25/2009/

4. USA Conference
Tomorrow I'm off to the USA to participate in a conference in Florida.

Building Community to End the Harm Caused By Heterosexism & Reparative Therapy

Sponsored by
Soulforce, Truth Wins Out, the National Black Justice Coalition, Beyond Ex-Gay,

Box Turtle Bulletin, and Equality Florida

I will be involved in the Friday Symposium of 'Ex-gay' Survivor and monitoring groups as well as presenting on the Friday night.

In San Francisco I'll be
  1. Reconnecting with a  mega-church pastor I haven't seen for 20 years and taking him for a tour through the Castro and San Francisco's GLBT Centre
  2. Attending the 35th Anniversary of San Francisco's LGBT Chamber of Commerce
  3. Speaking at Freedom in Christ Church.
At West Palm Beach Florida I'm participating in the Conference

Then I fly to New York for 24 hours to meet with GLAAD and other influential people.

Then I fly over to LA to meet up with Azariah Southworth and others before I fly home.

This trip would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Business Association and also a wonderful supporter. Thank you.

Objectives of the trip are to.
  • Gain valuable up to date information and insights about 'ex-gay' activities and recent research.
  • Reinforce existing relationships with Beyond Ex-gay, The Boxed Turtle Bulletin, Truth Wins Out and Soulforce
  • Work on global strategies to de-construct the 'ex-gay' myth
  • Create new networking relationships
  • Contribute in the Friday symposium and  conference workshops
  • Use momentum to organise a special event for the 2010 Mardi Gras parade
  • Share with my US counterparts the developments happening down under
5. Anniversary Dinner and Party

Join us for a memorable night

Freedom 2 b[e] 4th Anniversary Dinner & Party
at
RYDGES WORLD SQUARE

Special Guest Speaker

STEVIE CLAYTON

"The Challenges Ahead for the GLBT Community"

Stevie will speak from an enormous amount of experience in the GLBT community

  • Nine years CEO of ACON, Australia's largest HIV and LGBT health organisation.
  • Served on many boards including the NSW Council of Social Services,  the Human Rights Committee of the Law Society of NSW and the NSW Equal Opportunity Tribunal
  • Served in organisations such as Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and the National LGBT Health Alliance.
  • Co-convenor of the NSW Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby for five years
  • In 2003 Stevie was awarded an OAM, the first person in Australia to receive an award in the Order of Australia for service to the LGBT community.

Cost is only $50 per person thanks to the sponsorship of Proteus Leadership Centres

 Ticket includes free drinks on arrival, two course meal & DJ (dance the night away)

 GLBT/STRAIGHT FRIENDS & FAMILY WELCOME
(100 Places only)

Avoid disappointment book online NOW

Bookings close on Friday 27 November 2009

Use this link to book

https://www.proteuscentre.com/events/2009-12-04/f2b-e-dinner

 We will also be launching our new website on the night plus some other surprises.

Place: Rydges World Square, 389 Pitt Street, Sydney

Date: Friday 4th December 2009

Time: 7pm to Midnight

Cost: $50

Bookings close on Friday 27 November 2009

 For further information contact  Shane [email protected] or Nick [email protected]

 Sponsored by

Proteus Leadership


6. 'Ex-gay' Survivor Research

This project is to hear the stories of people who identify as GLBTIQ and Christian, to learn about their journey and to understand how someone can have a gay - and Christian - identity.

We are looking for people aged 18 and over who have had experiences in ex-gay programs, who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer, and come from a Christian background.

The project involves a conversation-style interview with the researcher, lasting around an hour. You will remain anonymous.

If you would like more information, or to take part in this project[1], please contact the researcher, Rachel Goff on

0401 818 099 or [email protected]


[1] This research has ethical approval from the Monash University Standing Committee on Ethics in Research Involving Humans.

Videos and Resources on YouTube

Latest video RUMOURS RUMOURS RUMOURS

Total channel here.

  1. ALOU Launch 2004 Rebekah & Hannah Part 1 See my wonderful daughters make over 300 people laugh and cry in the space of a couple of minutes

  2. ALOU Launch 2004 Anthony Venn Brown Part 2 Obviously I was speaking prophetically in 2004 its now happened over and over again.

  3. Anthony Venn-Brown on 7's Sunrise - Everyday Peopleis probably one of the best interviews I've done. Channel 7 liked it so much they played again on the Morning Show.

  4.  Anthony Venn-Brown Comes Out on Shine. Dean Carey, Director of Actors Centre Australia, interviews gay ambassador Anthony Venn-Brown on Shine along with singer David Campbell. Meet my lovely daughters

  5. Gay Ambassador Anthony Venn-Brown interviewed on Queer TV . Anthony Venn-Brown talks about his journey, being a gay ambassador, his 50th birthday, the new edition of his autobiography, a conversation with the Hon. Michael Kirby and meeting with the Assemblies of God.

  6. Honey I'm gay!  Sydney Morning Heralds Sexpert, Brooke Hemphill, interviews Coach & Author Anthony Venn-Brown. "It's better to live one day on the planet being true to yourself than an entire lifetime which is a lie." "When we choose to live authentically, we chip away at others prisons' of pretend." "I'd rather be rejected for who I am, than accepted for who I'm not."

  7. Being Gay in a Heterosexual Marriage - Channel 7 Sunrise . Coach and Author Anthony Venn-Brown speaks on Australia's national breakfast show, Channel 7's Sunrise about being gay but in a heterosexual marriage. For many of us, being gay, lesbian or bisexual in a heterosexual marriage was not a choice of intentional deception. Our marriages were the result of the pressure to conform. Some of us grew up in a society where homosexuality was considered a perversion or psychologic.al illness. When we married, we did so believing it was the right thing to do and expecting it would change what we perceived was faulty within us. Was the current knowledge on sexual orientation available to us then, our choices would have been different.

  8.  Dad's Coming Out 60 Minutes Pt 1 . What do you do if you are gay but in heterosexual marriage? What about the wife and kids? Is it worthwhile coming out? Who gets hurt? How to move on? What about the parents when their child comes out?

  9.  Dad's Coming Out - 60 Minutes Pt 2

Social Networking

Connect with me on facebook

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Subscribe to my channel on YouTube

GLB? Specific Coaching Available
  • Married, Gay or Bi - What to do?
  • Coming Out Strategic Plan - Why? When? Who? How? What?
  • Resolving faith/sexuality issues

Email me directly for more information [email protected]

Please Note: US, UK, Asia, NZ, Australia or anywhere in the world, coaching can be done effectively either on the phone , via the internet or face to face (if you live in Sydney). Your privacy is always respected and strict confidentiality assured.

Other areas of coaching include:

Professional

  • Career Development/Transition/Outplacement
  • Personal Productivity, Time Management, Goal Setting, Decision Making
  • Strategic Planning
  • Increasing Sales Performance
  • Presentation Skills
  • Leadership
  • Interpersonal Skills, Communication, Personal Empowerment, Assertiveness
  • Life Balance - including work, social, health, finance, relationships
  • Job seeking, resumes, networking, interviews

Personal

  • Building a Healthy Self-Image
  • Creating a Fulfilling Life in Singleness
  • Relationships
  • Negotiating Life Transitions, Re-inventing Yourself
  • Mid Life - Turn Your Crisis into a Quest
  • Life Purpose

When you want to master a new sport, the quickest way to learn is to hire a coach. Then why do leading athletes still have a coach, considering they are top in their fields? Because they know it's essential to have a coach in order to achieve optimum results.

In the same way, a professionally trained and accredited coach assists you to achieve top performance, desired outcomes and success in all areas of your personal and professional life. It's like having a personal trainer for your life.

Ready to do, have and be more?  Click here

Anthony Venn-Brown (ACC ICF)

Professional Coach -  Internationally accredited with 9 years experience

Award winning author of 'A Life of Unlearning - A Journey to Find the Truth'

Convenor of Freedom 2 b[e]

Honoured to be on the inaugural list of the  25 Most Influential Gay & Lesbian Australians

Tel: + 61 (0)2 9699 2448  Mobile: +61 (0)416 015 231

Facebook Profile:http://www.facebook.com/gayambassador

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