Mr. George Shaaban begins his email by charging Rev. John Makokha with motives that are purely monetary:  "Unfortunately lust for money has made us compromise the Holy Bible."

     Recently, Other Sheep, primarily a volunteer-staff ministry, was able to raise $1,500 from individuals and church donors for Rev. Makokha for back rent due.  "The monies raised," said Steve Parelli, Executive Director of Other Sheep, "went directly to pay for Rev. Makokha's back rent.  There was the likelihood of his household goods being confiscated if he did not meet this financial obligation."

     Commenting further, Parelli, himself a defrocked Baptist minister, noted "The irony in all of this is that Rev. Makokha, without funding, is showing hospitality to those whom the church has marginalized - gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons.  The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was their refusal to receive strangers, which is inhospitality.  The law of the desert provided that one must give hospitality to strangers rather than leave them to the elements, a most certain death.  Instead of providing hospitality, the men of the city of Sodom showed their contempt and inhospitality for the strangers in a most violent manner:  attempted rape.  Rape, whether between two men or between a man and a woman, is always a horrific violation.  Two loving same-sex partners is not rape.  The story of Sodom is a story of inhospitality demonstrated by the intent to rape.  Christ, in his words in Matthew 10:5-15, refers to Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of hospitality versus inhospitality, not homosexuality versus heterosexuality."

     In addition, Parelli sited Bob Davies, an evangelical counselor, on Sodom and Gomorrah.  "Bob Davies," Parelli said, "authored the book Coming Out of Homosexuality, copyright 1993.  Davies is an evangelical who to this day counsels gay Christians that homosexuality is a sin and that gay Christians must come out of homosexuality.  However, he does not use the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as a basis for his premise.  Instead, Davies writes in his book, 'pro-gay theologians are correct in saying that this passage [Sodom and Gomorrah] does not provide a strong argument against prohibiting all homosexual acts.'"  Parelli explains, "As early as 1993, evangelical 'ex-gay' counselors were beginning to see that Sodom and Gomorrah could no longer be an argument for their 'ex-gay' ministries.  This is a remarkable statement considering it is made by an evangelical who condemns all same-sex relationships as sinful."

     One of the stated goals of Other Sheep East Africa (in our mission to reach LGBTs of faith in East Africa) is to distribute in East Africa the book The Children Are Free by Jeff Minor and John Tylor Connoley.  The Children Are Free is a scholarly study written for lay people.  The book takes a new look at the Bible passages traditionally used against homosexuals like the Sodom and Gomorrah passage. In addtion, the book looks at passages that affirm LGBTs.   Last July and August (2007), Steve Parelli and Jose Ortiz distributed 100 copies of The Children Are Free to individuals in Kenya and Uganda.  Other Sheep continues to receive emails from East African LGBT Christians on how this book is changing lives.  The Children Are Free books are graciously provided to Other Sheep by JesusMCC, Indianapolis, Indiana at no charge for free distribution in Africa.