Continued Controversy Regarding Coming Out Ministries’ Proximity to Andrews University
4 March 2024 |
Truth Wins Out, an organization advocating against anti-LGBTQ prejudice and conversion therapy, has called on Andrews University to take a stance against the nearby presence of Coming Out Ministries. That group, which plans to begin services by September next to the university’s campus in Berrien Springs, Michigan, has been criticized for promoting materials by Jayson Graves on their website. Graves is a life coach who faced allegations of sexual misconduct. Wayne Besen, executive director of Truth Wins Out, has highlighted the university’s responsibility to address the presence of an organization linked to such controversies.
The organization’s use of materials from Pure Passion, a program associated with the now-defunct Exodus International, has also drawn criticism. Exodus International closed after its leaders acknowledged the ineffectiveness and potential harm of conversion therapy practices. This association raises further concerns about the messages and methods endorsed by Coming Out Ministries.
Historical instances of conversion therapy within the Seventh-day Adventist community, including the case of Colin Cook, who resigned after allegations of inappropriate conduct, add context to the current concerns surrounding Coming Out Ministries and its activities.
Coming Out Ministries has initiated a capital campaign with the goal of raising $500,000 to purchase a building for its operations, having already raised over $317,000. This move has sparked debate among students and advocacy groups due to the organization’s promotion of views that many consider to be scientifically discredited and harmful to LGBTQ individuals. According to the American Psychological Association:
“…Efforts to change sexual orientation through therapy have been adopted by some political and religious organizations and aggressively promoted to the public. However, such efforts have serious potential to harm young people because they present the view that the sexual orientation of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth is a mental illness or disorder, and they often frame the inability to change one’s sexual orientation as a personal and moral failure.
Because of the aggressive promotion of efforts to change sexual orientation through therapy, a number of medical, health, and mental health professional organizations have issued public statements about the dangers of this approach. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American School Counselor Association, the National Association of School Psychologists and the National Association of Social Workers together, representing more than 480,000 mental health professionals, have all taken the position that homosexuality is not a mental disorder and thus is not something that needs to or can be ‘cured.'”
Truth Wins Out’s call to Andrews University is an appeal for the institution to consider the implications of allowing Coming Out Ministries to operate in close proximity to its campus. The organization urges the university to take measures that reflect a commitment to the well-being of its students and the broader values of respect and inclusion.
