Late yesterday, Exodus International, the 37-year-old benchmark for Christian "ex-gay" ministry, apologized to people it had hurt and announced its closing (and transformation to a new ministry). The official statements (apology and announcement of closing) are national news.

In his talk last night at the Exodus Freedom Conference (below, start 20:00 in), Chambers fills in much of the story behind the decision to end Exodus. In 1976, when the ministry was founded, it was as a safe haven for a minority of believers who had no place to run in the church. "The truth of our stories have not changed" Chambers said, affirming that closing Exodus does not negate the true stories of those, himself included, who found some sense of exit from unwanted same-sex attraction or lifestyle.

Chambers observed that

"We live in very messy reality. Everyone lives in that reality. But in the midst of that reality, we have a God...who is crazy about us. Mess and all. Your mess isn't the 'gay stuff', it's simply ...