Our college ministry, Collegiate Reformed Fellowship, is sponsoring a big event next month. Sam Allberry, author of Is God Anti-gay?, will be speaking at the University of Idaho on Wednesday March 5th at 7:30pm. His story is one of God’s goodness in the midst of same sex attraction, and is a powerful testimony for those needing encouragment in the face of this temptation.
Here is a short promo video:
The Facebook event is here:
And a short interview with Sam on LivingOut.org:
Sam became a Christian on his 18th birthday and after graduating from college, he began graduate studies at Cornhill Training Course in London. Sam went on to train at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford (2000-2003), then served at St Ebbe’s Church in central Oxford (2003-2008), leading their ministry to undergraduate students. Since 2008 Sam has been an associate pastor at St Mary’s Church in Maidenhead (which is just down the road from Windsor). In late 2012 Sam shared with his church family his long-term struggle with same-sex attraction.
In 2013 Sam wrote “Is God Anti-Gay?” and helped to set up the website LivingOut.org. Both of these are attempts to help Christians with same sex attraction. Another goal is to help wider church and a watching world know that God’s word is both clear and unfathomably good on this issue. Since then he has had a growing number of opportunities to speak more widely on this topic, and he is keen to help churches be places of both compassion and clarity for those struggling with this temptation.
If you have any questions regarding this event, please email Gabriel Rench at gaberench at gmail.com.
I pray the students will be respectful!! … Read more »
Maybe we should extend a direct invitation to Wheaton for this event.
Ah! I just read his book last year! I wish I could go to this! Will it be taped?
I would love to see Sam come to Indiana University.
I too hope the students will be respectful–in part because I think that anyone intellectually mature enough to attend a university should have the perceptiveness to see that slogans, bumper stickers, and insults are not arguments. It should–but doesn’t–go without saying that if you can’t tolerate an opposing opinion without a massive emotional freakout, you should not be any part of “the universal city of the intellect.” But that being said, I do have some sympathy for those who feel that Biblical Christians are their enemies who mean them no good. I have explained before that my daughter’s involvement in performing… Read more »
Hi Jill, I mentioned the hope for a respectful audience because of the lecture Pastor Wilson gave in Indiana. Have you watched it? Shocking does not adequately describe the behavior of many of the students; I would say frightening. Surely you did not have sympathy for that crowd, did you? It was very encouraging to watch the pastor though. His patience was a wonderful example of Christian leadership. I find it a little bit surprising that you ask Christians to be empathetic and not to stereo type young people who engage in sinful behaviors, but you seem to rationalize the… Read more »
Hi Carole, I didn’t explain myself well. I have not seen the videotape and I don’t know much about it. I need to be clearer that I have no use whatever for rude, insulting behavior. I think that if a student finds a topic too inflammatory to be able to maintain courtesy and propriety, he or she should stay away. So I have no sympathy or empathy for students who behaved badly–or worse–to anyone invited to speak on campus. I think there is always a role for polite protest, preferably silent, if the university has invited someone who is considered… Read more »
Hi Jill, Sorry if I over reacted. The lecture that Pastor gave in Indiana was such an eye-opener for me. I had forgotten how liberal college students with no respect for anyone or anything behave. And yes, I was once one of them. I suppose I do try to forget. How grateful I am to not be that lost, despairing, angry ,hateful child anymore. Joy is being reborn! I don’t know how I would have responded to the gospel, because I did not know a single believer. I was raised by college professors who were atheist and was certainly encouraged… Read more »
Now, the latest thread is exactly what I wanted to say: “It is not enough to see your way clear to loving the sinner. You must do it while hating the filthiness that has ensnared him. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil (Prov. 8:13), and sinners don’t need any more love from people who don’t fear the Lord.” This is what I think is the difficult thing to do. It must have been extremely difficult for you when you fostered. It is why it seems like someone who has faced the very same desires that these young… Read more »
Hi Carole, I didn’t think you over-reacted. I was fairly obnoxious in my college days (I was with Abbie Hoffman when he he “liberated” the faculty club at my university). The bemused professors invited us to sit down for sandwiches and coffee which certainly took the wind out of my sails! But, unlike today’s kids, I was never hostile. There was a spirit of saving the world in the name of peace, love, and Mickey Mouse, and even then I understood that it was the height of hypocrisy to demand universal love while practicing hateful behavior. I copped out pretty… Read more »