In Alan Chambers' Own Words

Failed Former Exodus President is Morphing into a Gay Activist

This must be the most grievous thing I've ever written in exposing one of the most dangerous things I've ever witnessed from a so-called Christian.  Unfortunately there are critics, mainly those who are afraid and passive, who believe it is unnecessary or even unkind to expose or talk about the tragic morphing of Alan Chambers into a gay-identified "Christian" and his influence of leading people back into homosexuality. They are at the very least terribly naive, and at the worst blatant cowards (Rev. 21:8).  I am writing this post today with great sorrow, having grieved deeply since 2011 over the betrayal of trust from the Exodus board and the subsequent demise of Exodus. The Scripture actually teaches otherwise about the need to bring correction, we are to rebuke and correct if we sincerely love like God.  The following Scriptures were used as a pathway in rebuking and correcting Alan Chambers, Clark Whitten and the Board of Exodus in 2012: Matt. 18:15-17, Gal. 6:1-4, Prov. 27:5-6, Prov. 28:23, 1 Tim. 5:20-21, 2 Tim. 2:23-26, 2 Tim. 4:1-4. Unfortunately, our pleas were to no avail as Exodus later closed its doors forever. Against all the ministry leaders throughout the Exodus network, the Exodus Board dismissed all cautions, hardened their hearts and pursued their own will in empowering Alan Chambers.

Paul the Apostle has named names and written in his letters open rebukes and warnings which will remain forever as Scripture of those with much lesser ^[1]offenses than that of Alan Chambers and Clark Whitten. Do you understand that Chambers and Whitten are now teaching the damnable heresy that practicing homosexuals can go to heaven under their perverted message of grace?

Alan Chambers once communicated that he believed the Bible.  But now, Alan Chambers has morphed into a gay activist forsaking Biblical Orthodoxy and presenting "gay Christianity."  Chambers was hired to serve the ministries of Exodus.  However, Chambers had other plans.  He and his pastor Clark Whitten devised a careful plan to systematically change the by-laws of Exodus so Alan could take complete control and have the leading ownership of Exodus International.

Today Chambers’ idea of “freedom,” is being freed from what he calls "religious slavery," which translates that no moral laws need to be obeyed in his doctrine of “grace.”  His new book, “My Exodus: Leaving the Slavery of Religion, Loving the Image of God in Everyone” is soon to be released. (Update September 2015: book title changed to: "My Exodus: From Fear to Grace") Chambers’ book is being published by Zondervan who has been cautioned that he is not Biblical and promotes homosexuality.   Yet Zondervan’s response to me was a complete endorsement of Alan Chambers in full knowledge of Alan Chambers’ unbiblical beliefs. This tragic morphing and mutation has Chambers believing he is righteous and loving in convincing young people to embrace homosexuality.  Alan also speaks for God and proclaims that God Almighty is “cool” with Jeff Chu’s homosexual behavior and his gay “marriage.”  It might be hard to believe, but you can hear all this for yourself in the video posted below: “In Alan Chambers’ Own Words – Part 2”.

Very few people knew about what was happening in the secret world of Alan Chambers in 2008 through 2011, which was more than half of his tenure as President of Exodus International. However, in the videos below, it is very clear now that Alan deceived many, as he actually did not believe the Bible (hear in his own words "I never believed..."). In 2010, I started telling close friends and leaders (all who eventually helped start the new Restored Hope Network) that I was concerned about the direction and teaching I was hearing from the Exodus office.  I was the volunteer Chairman of the Exodus Ministry Council and felt obligated in protecting the truth, the vision and ministry of Exodus as a network.  Unfortunately, not one board member did anything during the implosion to stop Chambers or Whitten.

Clark Whitten (former Exodus Board Chairman & Alan’s mentor for over 15 years) began sharing his version of grace teachings to Exodus Ministry Directors in leadership meetings starting in 2007 all the way through the demise and implosion of Exodus.  It was during this internal debacle that the process of confrontation started.  I and several ministry directors and other Christian leaders joined together to start the process of confronting the heretical teachings of Clark Whitten and Alan Chambers. (Matthew 18:15-17).  Unfortunately, to no avail because Chambers and Whitten had already put the plan in place in changing the by-laws of Exodus to make Exodus a “ministry” possession of Alan Chambers. The other tragic part of this scenario were the leaders who naively were more loyal to Chambers than to the Word of God during the implosion, many who mocked me, and continue to dislike any attention to this serious situation.

You can now clearly hear in his own words in the videos and the other source links below for confirmation of the direction of Alan Chambers and his morphed beliefs of today. It is revealing now that Alan Chambers as Exodus President, hearing from his own words he didn't actually believe the Bible.  Alan calls it being set free from religious slavery and bondage.  Ironically what he calls "freedom" is actually a manifestation in Chambers embracing his "gay self" once again and the gay community as his own, the community who pridefully enjoys sexual slavery and bondage.  Alan believes he has received a revelation from God, or perhaps better communicated, a revelation from his pastor Clark Whitten.  This so-called divine revelation that Clark Whitten believes he has received, is supposedly greater than all the Church reformers on the subject of grace.^[2]   They actually believe that grace gives them such liberty they no longer need to acknowledge their sins before God or confess their sins. ^[2]  These teachings and doctrines are nothing new.  It is simply antinomianism repackaged.  It is a perverse cheap grace message at Grace Orlando Church that now allows for practicing homosexuals to go to heaven. This is true for Randy Thomas (former Vice President of Exodus), who has also embraced being gay again, who is also praying and pining away for his husband as revealed in a recent Facebook post.  Both Chambers and Thomas attend Grace Orlando and have been mentored by Clark Whitten. There is no fear of God because they teach that repentance isn't really necessary and fearing God is religious bondage. Alan communicates our only needs as Christians are to believe in the historical facts about Jesus and to say you love Him.  Chambers continues to communicate his love for Jesus and also turns around and tells people they can live in complete disobedience to Jesus by living in homosexuality.  Chambers and Whitten both communicate with Christian terminology and Christianese but mean something different than sincere Bible-believing Christians; now tragically they are leading people astray under this perverse grace teaching.  Please watch the following videos in full and read the additional hyperlinked articles below for a complete understanding of the tragic implosion of Exodus International and the failed leadership of Alan Chambers under the mentorship of his pastor, Clark Whitten.♦ –

In Alan Chambers' Own Words (Part 1) Released in 2012.  

In Alan Chambers' Own Words - Part 2 Released 2015  

"Alan Chambers: A Cautionary Tale" was produced to give a revealing and short glimpse into Alan Chambers' narcism as he communicates "I Think" over 50 times and yet does not refer to what "God Thinks" even once from the Word of God.

Alan Chambers Proclaims His Gospel - A shorter video edited from the "In Alan Chambers' Own Words - Part 2" for a quick understanding of the egregious nature of the Chambers' heretical messaging.  — _______________________________________________

The following paragraphs are in part from an article written by Laurie Higgins in June of 2013 with Illinois Family Institute and are used with permission. The president of Exodus International, Alan Chambers, has announced in an extended apology to homosexuals, and that he is closing Exodus International, the ministry for those who experience unwanted same-sex attraction, and from its ashes he is creating a new organization titled “Reduce Fear.” [This past year Alan abandoned “Reduce Fear” as an organization and merely promotes himself now].   The “fear” to which the name refers emanates from theologically orthodox churches that teach the whole counsel of God, including the pesky parts about God’s condemnation of homosexual acts. Apparently, Chambers doesn’t want to scare those who affirm homosexuality with bothersome biblical truths about eternity.

This doesn't come as a surprise to those who have been closely watching Chambers’ slow abandonment of orthodoxy and his concomitant embrace of the “gay Christian” movement, which promotes the heresy that Christians may affirm a homosexual identity and remain in homosexual relationships.

Chambers communicated in June of 2012 in an interview with The Atlantic, he articulated a tidbit of his exegetically questionable theology:

Atlantic: Does that mean a person living a gay lifestyle won’t go to hell, as long as he or she accepts Jesus Christ as personal savior?

Chambers: My personal belief is that everyone has the opportunity to know Christ, and that while behavior matters, those things don’t interrupt someone’s relationship with Christ. But that’s a touchy issue in the conservative group I run with. (emphasis added) For those who remain uncertain about Chambers’ deviation from the path of theological soundness, please make sure to watch Part 1 and 2 of "In Alan Chambers' Own Words" above. Chambers’ transition to heresy has been accompanied by dizzying changes to Exodus’ Board of Directors over the past two years. Here’s a glimpse into that protean board.

Feb. 2011 board included Dennis Jernigan, Ron Dennis, and Jeff Winter
By June 2011 board had added John Warren and Don & Diana Schmierer
By Oct. 2011 board had lost Ron Dennis and Jeff Winter and added Mike Goeke and Patrick Peyton
By Dec. 2011 board had added Kathy Koch
By June 2012 board had lost Dennis Jernigan
By August 2012 board had lost Mike Goeke and Patrick Payton
By March 2013 board had added Bob Ragan
By April 2013 board had lost Bob Ragan
By June 2013 board had added Tony Moore

The closing board of Exodus consisted of: Clark & Martha Whitten, Don & Diana Schmierer, Kathy Koch, and Tony Moore.  This is the group that empowered Alan Chambers through the implosion and closure of Exodus International.

The troubling constant on the board is board chairman Rev. Clark Whitten about whose theology Dr. Robert A. Gagnon has warned here  and here.  Clark Whitten has been influencing Alan Chambers for over 15 years as his pastor and the board chairman of Exodus.  Alan Chambers is the fruit of Clark Whitten's oversight and ministry. Clark has referred to Alan, "like a son."

It gets dirtier!

Alan Chambers now calls “evangelical” a “dirty word” that he no longer applies to Exodus or to himself (“Guests in an Ever Changing Culture—Letter from Alan Chambers March 2013”).  He complains that Evangelicalism is too “black and white” and he assures us that God is not “black and white,” which presumably means that God’s aim is to shade the light into gray. The story of Christ is now the story of Gray breaking into the darkness.

Evangelicalism, Mr. Chambers complains, gives too much attention to “right and wrong” and requires one to “take a stand” on moral issues. Chambers cries: “Gone are the days of evangelizing through scare tactics, moral legislation, and church discipline.” So instead the Exodus leadership prefers to assure self-professed Christians who engage in unrepentant homosexual practice that they are going to heaven irrespective of whether they bring their life into line with a confession of Christ’s lordship. The Exodus leadership refuses to take a stand against “gay marriage” even as it takes public policy stances on issues that homosexual activists support. And the Exodus leadership categorically rejects church discipline despite the fact that it is commanded by Jesus and Paul.

In June of 2013 Alan Chambers even went so far as to insert secretly the e-mail address of Jeremy Hooper, an abrasive homosexual activist, into the middle of a private group email thread containing a number of pro-family leaders (including mine). This led to a number of misrepresentations online by homosexual activist sites and even Salon.com. This deceitful alignment with a person who maligns those who believe in a male-female foundation for marriage is not exactly a model for Christian conduct, certainly not for someone leading what is supposed to be a Christian ministry.

In an Exodus post Leslie Chambers affirmed her husband’s severance of the transformed life from genuine saving faith, saying that while obedience to God is preferred it is not “required”. Neither Leslie nor Alan appears to realize that a necessary byproduct of true faith is a life lived for God.

As Dr. Gagnon mentioned, Chambers’ dissolution of Exodus was accompanied by his serious ethical lapse regarding an email group. A couple of months ago, a well-known and well-respected conservative author sent an email to a group of conservatives. Chambers responded to the entire group, angry that a person or persons in this large group have allegedly used terms in some context that Chambers finds offensive. He never identified the person or persons who used the term/s, nor did he identify the context.

One of the email recipients noticed that Chambers had surreptitiously added homosexual activist Jeremy Hooper, who has a blog titled Good As You (G.A.Y.). When confronted about the stealth addition of Hooper, Alan defensively admitted that he had, indeed, done so in the hope that Hooper would report on the email exchange and that the “good and decent people” on the list would be shamed into publicly exposing and rebuking others whom they may not know for offenses Chambers would not reveal.

I asked Chambers the following questions, which he refused to answer:

• Who are the people who deserve public rebuking and what specifically did they do to deserve to be rebuked?
• If he thought there was something “unrighteous” and “evil” (Chambers’ terms) going on, why didn't he expose it himself and publicly rebuke the person or persons whom he believed deserved public rebuking?
• How did he justify betraying a trust and trying to publicly shame “good and decent” people for what he perceived as their failure to rebuke unnamed people for using words he viewed as inappropriate in unidentified contexts—actions, by the way, that he had not done?

No ministry should ever tell those who experience same-sex attraction or any other sin inclination that there’s a human way to eradicate all sinful impulses. If Exodus staff conveyed that unbiblical idea to those to whom they ministered, they erred.

Conversely no Christian should be told that God will not free them from same-sex attraction or that they will never experience heterosexual attraction, for those too are erroneous ideas.

Scripture tells us that God will free us from bondage to sin, but that full sanctification does not come in this life. We are promised that in this life, God will give us the power to resist our sinful impulses, which for most of us persist at least in attenuating strength.

God does not, however, give us permission to affirm our sinful impulses or act upon them. We are to pursue lives of holiness—which will never include homosexual relationships.

Since Exodus has abandoned orthodoxy, it is a good thing that it is shuttering its doors. Fortunately, a far better ministry exists to fill a desperate need: Restored Hope Network

When we read about prior heresies, they seem like distant historical curiosities, but right now we are eyewitnesses to the birth and growth of a heresy in our lifetime. Let’s hope and pray that it’s soon relegated to the dustbin of heresies.♦ ____________________________________________________

The reason for the creation of the "In Alan Chambers' Own Words, Part 1 and Part 2 is to reveal the morphing heresy.  Part 1 is from 2011 and 2012 interviews and Part 2 is from Alan Chambers' interview from the Level Ground - February 2015 and from his own words when speaking at the Glory Tabernacle, October 2014. He clearly communicates heresy and leading people astray. In Alan Chambers' Own Words Part 1 and Part 2 were also created from a Scriptural mandate to correct, rebuke and expose those who are teaching false doctrines leading souls to hell.   Matt. 18:17, Acts 20:29-31, Jude 1:4, Gal. 1:6-8, 1 Tim. 5:20-21, Titus1:10-16, 2 Peter 2:1-22, 2 Peter 3:14-18. Both Parts, 1 and 2 of Alan Chambers' in His Own Words were also created to warn leaders in the Church globally of the perverse grace teachings of Clark Whitten, former Exodus Board Chairman and Alan Chambers' pastor. These videos reveal Alan Chambers' inconsistencies in his own words and expose his grave heretical teaching of perverse grace leading souls astray. These videos were also created to call the Board of Directors with Exodus to accountability and responsibility.

Exodus may have imploded, but, there is hope! There is the Restored Hope Network with many ministries and counselors to help overcome and find last freedom in a legitimate relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord.  The Exodus Board of 2013 thought they were closing down ministry for good, but they were wrong!  The Exodus Board of Directors from 2012 and 2013 did not heed the warnings from the RHN founders and many others.  Now the very warnings have come to pass. Alan is promoting "gay Christianity." However, there are more people today helping people overcome homosexuality with orthodox biblical clarity, much more than that of the former days of Exodus.  Therefore, we will rejoice in the Lord our God and for His Truth!

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine."  Psa. 33:18-19

Footnotes

[1] Hymenaeus, Alexander, (1 Tim. 1:20) Phygellus, Hermogenes, (2 Tim. 1:15) Hymenaeus, Philetus (2 Tim. 2:17), Demas (2 Tim. 4:9-10), Alexander (2 Tim. 4:14), Cretans (Titus 1:12) 9 names mentioned whose offenses were much less than that of Clark Whitten and Alan Chambers.  As the Apostle Paul said of Alexander the Coopersmith, these men have done the Body of Christ much harm.

[2] From Clark Whitten’s book, “Pure Grace”  

Sources on the History of the Demise of Exodus

• A New Organization for Ex-Gays and How the World Sees the Church and Why[interview with Stephen Black] with Dr. Michael Brown (radio interview)
• 6 Lessons From the Collapse of Exodus International by Michael Brown (web article)
• Exodus on a Collision Course with Jesus by Dr. Robert Gagnon (web article)
• 'Ex-gay' therapy takes a hit with the collapse of Exodus International: A Christian ministry self-destructs over theological differences and poor leadership [interview with Anne Paulk, Executive Director, Restored Hope Ministries] by Lianne Laurence (web article)
• 'Gay' Recovery Group Returns to Bondage by Scott Lively (web article)
• A Response to Exodus: Don't Apologize for the Truth by J. Lee Grady (web article)
• Exodus International Closes Its Doors Following Troubling Leadership of Alan Chambers by Laurie Higgins (web article)
• Exodus International Flees the Promised Land by Rev. Mark H. Creech (web article)
• The Unfortunate Demise of Exodus International by Nathan Cherry (web article)
• Exodus International Closes After Alan Chambers' Apology by Erin Roach (web article)
• Dr. Robert Gagnon from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary discusses the closing of Exodus International with Janet Mefferd (radio interview)
• Anderson Cooper Interviews Alan Chambers on Denny Burk's blog (video interviews)
• Exodus International to Shut Down; Ministry President Apologizes to Gay Community by Sam Storms (blog post)
• Citizen Link Interview of Anne Paulk Concerning the Exodus Closure (web interview)
• Time for a Change of Leadership at Exodus?by Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph.D.
• Cheap (Perverse) Grace Masquerading as Pure Grace by Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph.D.
• Initial DSM Response to Exodus by Andrew Comiskey (PDF)
• Exodus: Letting Go, Hope Rising by Andrew Comiskey (Blog)
• Being a "Simple-Minded Jesus Lover" Is No Excuse for Really Bad Theology. Alan Chambers dodges the real issue at hand and inadvertently plays the role of judge.by Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph.D.
• The Gospel of False Assurance, and More Evidence of the Slippery Slope by Dr. Michael Brown on Line of Fire (Audio)

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