JENNIFER
During high school, Jennifer made peace with her sexuality and spirituality through the guidance of MCC
ministers. However, she remained “closeted” in college due to her involvement with an evangelical Christian
student group and “charismatic/spirit-filled” church. When her deep faith led her to the mission field after
college, a crisis erupted. The prominent evangelical mission organization and the church staff told her she
could not be gay and Christian. She decided to do what the mission and church leaders said, which was not
what God said, and “gave up being gay.” In 1986, she joined an Exodus (ex-gay Christian) affiliated ministry
and later became a leader in it. In exchange for denying her sexuality, the ministry and church members
gave her acceptance and positive reinforcement for “repenting of her sin,” dating men, and promoting the
“ex-gay” agenda. Although Jennifer proclaimed that she had been transformed, she experienced frustrating
and unhappy relationships. Finally in 1996, while pursuing a Ph.D. in counseling, she experienced enough
freedom and acceptance within her doctoral program that she was able to return to her true sexuality.
Through accepting peers, increased self-acceptance, counseling, and guidance of MCC ministers, she came
full circle in reconciling her spirituality and sexuality once again. Jennifer is now a member of the “4-H club” –
Happy, Healthy, Holy, Homosexuals. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and an Assistant Professor
at a major university. Recently, Jennifer fulfilled God’s call to missions by going to Sri Lanka to provide
tsunami relief to children. Although misguided people previously hindered her desire to work overseas, God
still made a way. Jennifer, her partner, their 13-year-old son, dog, and cats are living happily ever after
Exodus!
a new documentary film
