Zondervan will put Alan Chambers’s book My Exodus: From Fear to Grace out of print following the news of Chambers’ arrest for solicitation of a minor.
Chambers, a leader and later renouncer of ex-gay ministry Exodus International, was arrested by the Orange County Sheriff Office in Florida on May 19. According to case details first reported by ABC affiliate Channel 9 Orlando News, Chambers is charged with three felonies after he messaged a detective posing as a 14-year-old boy. The Advocate reported that he “frequently discussed meeting up and engaging in sexual activity during that time, as well as concerns about their age difference and if he would get in trouble.”
Chambers joined Exodus International in 2001, leading the ministry until 2013 when Chambers gave a public apology for the organization’s efforts to promote sexual orientation change. He later supported bans on “conversion therapy” for minors and marched at Pride events. In 2015, he told Religion News Service that he believed same-sex relationships could be holy.
“I do believe that same-sex relationship can be holy. As a Christian, I think marriage is best. That is why I’m supportive of the Supreme Court decision for the legal recognition of same-sex marriage,” he said. “I think same-sex marriages can reflect, and often do, God’s image.”
Chambers’ memoir My Exodus, written with his wife Leslie, was published by Zondervan, owned by HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
Amy Morris, a spokesperson for Zondervan, told Sojourners in a statement that the publisher had no current relationship with Chambers.
“Zondervan published My Exodus in 2015 and has not actively stocked or promoted the book for several years,” Morris wrote. “We do not have a current publishing relationship with Alan Chambers. In light of the recent reports, the book will be put out of print.”
In an essay promoting the book, Chambers wrote about his own experience attending counseling sessions regarding his sexuality in 1991.
“I had a natural and honest desire to marry a woman and live happily ever after. I believed what I had been taught about sex and sexuality, and over the years I realized I could live without gay sex and resist the temptation to give into sexual urges,” he wrote. “I thought this meant I was healed and that change was indeed possible.”
Did this article have an impact on you? Tell us how! Whether you’re moved to take action, have a question, or want to share a comment (good or bad), we value your feedback!