About 12 years ago, the Rev. Bob Stith attended an Exodus conference, a ministry to help people who experience unwanted same-sex attraction. He hasn't been the same since.
"I went, and I was scared to death," he said. "From the very first day, God just really touched my heart."
Stith, who lives in Southlake, Texas, with his wife, Del, is chairman of the board for Living Hope Ministries, an Exodus-affiliated ministry in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He has been the pastor of Carroll Baptist Church in Southlake for 37 years. On June 1, Stith was named director of the Southern Baptist Ministry to Homosexuals Task Force. It's a position that was long in the making.
Randy Thomas, executive vice president for Exodus International, attended Stith's church and considers him a mentor.
"We are just excited for him and his new position, and are willing to serve him in any way," Thomas said.
Stith is in California this week for Exodus' 32nd annual conference. But he took the time to tell CitizenLink about his new post.
Q. Tell me about your responsibilities in your new post.
A. We're looking to get into Southern Baptist Churches, state conventions, key churches, to make them aware of the need, and then to explain to them some things they can do. I was interviewed by a state paper not long ago, and they asked me about ministries in their state. And I had to tell them, "I'm pretty sure there's not one anywhere in your state." And we really need to change that. … And also, we want to get into our seminaries and colleges so we can begin training people before they get out into the field, how to minister and how to deal with this issue.
How can we work together to reach those who are working to leave homosexual behavior?
The need is so great. I want us to, instead of duplicating resources, to multiply them and to use them, so we're not all doing things that someone else is already doing. … As a result of (Focus on the Family's) Love Won Out — we have some pretty talented people in our ministry, pretty gifted people — we put together a smaller version of Love Won Out that is available to local churches. We really need to be getting the information into the hands of people, at least whetting their appetite, so when Love Won Out maybe comes, maybe they'll make more of an effort to go and to get more information. Those are the kinds of things I would like to see us all doing, is learning how to work together.
How will you deal with the critics, many of whom say homosexuals are born that way?
I don't argue that fact, other than to say, 'There are no scientific, replicable studies that show this.' … Generally, I just say, 'Well, you know, can you name one study that does demonstrate this?' Then explain to them, 'No, that's not accepted.' I'm trying to do that in a nonargumentative way. I'm not going to get into debates about it, other than to say, 'That isn't true.' …
I've been involved with activists for several years, even before I took on this position. I'm not unfamiliar with what they're doing and what they're saying. I told my wife the other day, "You know, when you're a pastor, you preach something people don't like, they get mad at you and maybe don't show up. This one, you get nasty e-mails."
You just have to recognize these are broken people.
We are all in this together.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Learn more about the Southern Baptist Convention, Exodus and Love Won Out online.
