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A Life of Unlearning News for readers & interested people
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Greetings!
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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)
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1. Why Australia's Pentecostals Will Embrace GLBT People
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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
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You can read the two articles by clicking on the links below
Church advocates for gay acceptance '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.
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3. Samesame 25 Nominations Closing
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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
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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
- 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
- Attending the 35th Anniversary of San Francisco's LGBT Chamber of Commerce
- 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.
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Gain valuable up to date information and insights about 'ex-gay'
activities and recent research.
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Reinforce existing relationships with Beyond Ex-gay, The Boxed Turtle Bulletin, Truth Wins Out and Soulforce
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Work on global strategies to de-construct the 'ex-gay' myth
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Create new networking relationships
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Contribute in the Friday symposium and
conference workshops
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Use momentum to organise a special event for the 2010 Mardi Gras
parade
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Share with my US counterparts the developments happening down under
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5. Anniversary Dinner and Party
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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
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6. 'Ex-gay' Survivor Research
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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
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Latest video RUMOURS RUMOURS RUMOURS Total channel here.
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
ALOU Launch 2004 Anthony Venn Brown Part 2 Obviously I was speaking prophetically in 2004 its now happened over and over again.
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. 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 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. 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." 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. 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? Dad's Coming Out - 60 Minutes
Pt 2
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GLB? Specific Coaching Available
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- 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 |
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