Stephen Black has been an ordained minister for over 30 years and was ordained with International Ministerial Fellowship in 1994. He has been in full-time pastoral care ministry and public speaking for over 33 years; serving diligently in pastoral care in parachurch ministries, in the church as part-time staff, and as a volunteer prison chaplain. He is the author of Freedom Realized – Finding Freedom from Homosexuality & Living a Life Free from Labels, and the companion report, Freedom Realized – The Complete First Stone Ministries Effectiveness Survey Report. Stephen is an author of many articles and teaching aids and is currently working on his third book, Freedom Realized – Lesson Learned to be released in 2024.
He served as the executive director with First Stone Ministries (FSM) for 22 years, and on staff with FSM for over 32 years. He also served part-time on a local church staff for 5 years in the 90s. Stephen has served on several national Christian ministry boards. He is one of seven founders of the Restored Hope Network (RHN) and served on the RHN board for the first seven years (2012-2018). He currently serves on the board for Parents and Friends of Ex-gays and Gays. He is a regular guest on many national radio and television shows and has been interviewed numerous times by radio giving hope through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a featured testimony in the new American Family Association’s nationally award-winning documentary “In His Image” which has over half a million views worldwide. Stephen continues to be a faithful pastor to the church at large and a coach to leadership dealing with difficult human sexual and relational topics. Stephen has been married to his wife Robin since May 1986. They have three adult children and three grandchildren who are all lifelong residents of the Oklahoma City area.
Stephen enjoys testifying, teaching/speaking, and writing on God’s amazing grace to save souls and heal the roots of sin in relational and sexual brokenness demonstrated in God's sanctifying processes.
Stephen was called by God into ministry through the healing he received himself: (2 Cor. 1:3-4). As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, he was wounded and confused during his teenage years, drawn into homosexuality; and lived gay-identified for 8 years. Stephen’s 1991 written testimony is online in several locations and a video testimony is online here. Acquainted with the grief of sexual sin and abuse, Stephen’s heart is to make known what he discovered - that Jesus Christ has come to set the captives free, and that the grace of God is transformative, that The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives! —
Stephen’s statement of his personal history
I have lived my entire life in the Oklahoma City area. My wife of 37+ years, Robin, and I have three beautiful adult children (Mandy, John & Charity). Our precious Charity went to be with the Lord on April 24, 2012. Although we grieve, we have not lost hope. God has blessed us with three absolutely wonderful GRAND-children.
My wife and I are animal lovers and enjoy nature, patio living, swimming, and bird watching. I also enjoy hiking and geocaching. The most important thing about me: I am in love with GOD, and His perfect 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 Heaven 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 our 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 long for integrity to be consistent in all, especially in my own life living Coram Deo. I want to be a good friend! I long for truth, in relationships good, bad, and/or ugly. It is what it is, and I will tell it like it is. I am also very interested in politics, public policy, and making a difference for righteousness in our constitutional republic.
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. 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: “watchword, 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 by forging the metal of truth. I was amazed at this prophetic word, as this lines up with what I hope God will accomplish in my life in ministry for HIS GLORY. —
For Media Interviews Contact: Veritas Communications, Don Otis, 719.275.7775 or email: don@veritasincorporated.com.
(Freedom Realized is now available in Spanish, and the English version will soon be available in audio)
Blog Disclaimer: This is the personal ministerial page for Stephen Black. The views expressed or communicated in any way contained herein under 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 elections, 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.
