About
Stephen Black – Oklahoma City, OK – (photo Jan. 2009)
Blog Disclaimer: This is the personal blog of Stephen Black. The views expressed or communicated in any way contained herein under www.stephenblack.org are Stephen Black’s alone.
My viewpoints do not represent the views of any other person or of any other organizations. However, there will be direct links and articles that are from other sources. Other posted sources will be clearly communicated as such, otherwise the content on this blog, is personal to Stephen Black’s thoughts alone.
There will be a consistent presence of social and spiritual issues that I will blog about. During voting season, no doubt I will have many political opinions and links. As one who has overcome a history of addiction to sex, drug use, sexual abuse, sexual distortions, and severe identity conflict in homosexuality I will have many postings on these subject matters. I will of course want to post other assorted personal interests.
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Stephen Black has been the Executive Director of First Stone Ministries since 2000. Stephen has worked in full-time Christian ministry and in leadership with First Stone Ministries since 1993. He was ordained with International Ministerial Fellowship in October of 1994 after ten years of ministry preparation.
First Stone Ministries receives it’s name from the gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 7 which says, ”Let him who is without sin cast the First Stone.” First Stone Ministries specializes in ministering healing and restoration to those caught in all forms of sexual brokenness, especially those wounded through sexual abuse, pornography addiction, and homosexuality. First Stone is an Exodus International North America Member Ministry, which networks over 200 ministries internationally – proclaiming freedom from homosexuality. Stephen began ministering to the relationally and sexually broken through pastoral discipleship counseling in 1985 and now continues to teach and serve people in one-on-one discipleship sessions, group sessions, and conferences and in the Church. He has spoken numerous times on local and national radio and television programs over the past 20 years. He has also ministered in prisons as a volunteer chaplain. Stephen enjoys testifying, teaching and writing on God’s amazing grace to heal the roots of relational and sexual brokenness, especially the healing of homosexuality and sexual abuse.
Why would someone choose this kind ministry, ministry to the sexually broken? Stephen was called out through the healing he received himself: (2Cor. 1:3-4). Stephen didn’t actually choose this ministry, it was a calling from God. Stephen is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. He was wounded and confused during his teenage years, was drawn into homosexuality; and lived gay identified for 8 years; and Stephen’s 1991 written testimony is online in several locations. Therefore Stephen is very acquainted with sexual sin and sexual abuse, having experienced this devastation personally. However, what’s more important to Stephen’s heart, is how Jesus Christ has come to set the captives free, not the emphasis of a past sinful lifestyle.
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Personal / Family – History
Born at Tinker Air Force Base (TAFB), Midwest City, OK, in January of 1961 (or also considered Oklahoma City, OK, as OK-City surrounds Midwest City and TAFB). I have lived my entire life to-date in the Oklahoma City area. I am married, since May 1986. My wife, Robin and I have three beautiful adult children (Mandy, John & Charity) and one absolutely GRAND – granddaughter, Michayla. We are very blessed.
We live outside the main city, in rural Oklahoma City on 2 acres in a very modest home. Oklahoma City is one of the largest cities in the world in square miles so there are some rural areas. We are animal lovers, enjoy nature, patio living and bird watching. I have a Golden Retriever named Maximus, I call him Max most of the time. Robin has a Scottish Terrier named Goliath. I call him Blackie. We also have a ‘Heinz 57′ – mixed Rat Terrier / Australian Dingo type dog named Lily. She was suppose be our daughter, Charity’s dog, but she gave up on her because she grew too large. However, Lily is a great watch dog and stays out most of the time. We also have two cats, Chip the Simonize, and Jack the orange tabby.
My parents moved to Oklahoma City in 1960 after being stationed in England. My dad was career military – Navy and then Air Force. He met my mother right after WWII. My mother was born in Dublin, Ireland and was from a long decent of good Irish Catholics. My father was born in Mount Victory, Kentucky. He was quite the man’s man. I miss them both dearly. My mother passed away unexpectantly in March of 1997, and my father passed away on Christmas Day, 2001, both from cancer. There were five children in my home growing up. The birth order is Christine Sorrels, the oldest 1951, and then Michael Black, 1953, and then I was born in 1961. We had two younger siblings, a set of twins, Christopher Black and Mary Lott born in 1963. The three of us youngest grew up together. It has been a huge loss for me not having Chris and Mary in my life. My sister Christine is the director of “Helping Hands” a Yukon public school educational volunteer program, and my brother Mike is some what of a famous home grown Oklahoman entertainer – Mike Black and the Stingrays, is his band, and he is also the Oklahoma Elvis! Okay so that’s really enough about my family.
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More About Me and Hobbies
It is interesting to learn about a person’s name from God’s perspective; I believe our names are a picture of a prophetic word over our lives. This truth is Biblical. My full name is Stephen Howard Black. Stephen is from the Greek meaning “crowned one or one of highest quality” and my middle name Howard is old English meaning “watch word, one who watches over the word, or one who gives divine guidance” and my last name is Black, coming from Black Smithing or working with metal. Therefore my name prophecy is One who will give the highest quality of divine guidance, the one who watches over the word with hard work. I was amazed by this prophetic word, as this lines up with what I try to accomplish in ministry.
Most important thing about me, I am in love with GOD, and His ways. I really do want to be more like Jesus Christ and yet I fail in so many ways. I long for Heaven; I think about it every day. I love the Holy Scriptures! I love teaching from the Scripture and learning from God’s Word. I love my wife, Robin and are 3 beautiful children. I never want to do anything to hurt them. I regret my past, but I do not live in shame any longer. I am a loyal man. I despise lying and betrayal. I want to be a good friend! I long for truth, good, bad, and/or ugly. It is what it is, and I will tell it like it is. My motivational gifts are prophecy/encouragement/teacher. My personality tests out to be a Choleric (Powerful) / Melancholy (Perfect) and the JUNG Tests me as the ESTJ the extrovert, sensing, thinking, judging – the executive or administrator leader, only 8% of the population tests in this category of leaders. John McCain is an ESTJ.
As a born Oklahoman, Oklahoma is my favorite state in the nation. I have visited many other major cities in the USA, but Oklahoma City is the friendliest small big city of all the places I have been. There is no traffic, low crime, low cost of living and great property values and has an excellent conservative base to raise a family! The people are so friendly here in Oklahoma City, and this is one city in the USA that God actually still visits. 
Just kidding.
I really enjoy my family, worship music, reading the Bible and spiritual books, blogging, swimming, hiking, the gym, fishing, camping, my Golden Retriever: Maximus, traveling, public speaking, ministering, helping others, photography, studying body language, singing, some computer games, and I am also interested in politics and public policy.
