A Life of Unlearning
Anthony Venn-Brown
New Holland Publishers
Gary Fishlock Editor SX 10 June 2004
This amazing book, launched a few weeks ago at the Midnight Shift to an enthusiastic crowd of 300, is the autobiographical account of one man’s struggle to reconcile his homosexuality with the Church and the often bumpy journey that this quest took him on.
The author, Anthony Venn-Brown becomes a very successful preacher and evangelist in the Assemblies of God denomination of the Pentecostal stream of Christendom, but is tortured at almost every step along the way by his latent homosexuality, which he continuously prays for God to deliver him from. The book takes the reader on a very personal journey towards Venn-Brown’s coming out, which results in a tumultuous break-away from the Church and ultimate redemption as he manages to come to terms with his sexuality and find his “tribe” in Sydney’s glbtq communities.
This book is a very easy read, mainly because of the author’s style, which is quite casual, even conversational. However, it’s the honesty with which he tells his story that makes it such a compelling read. As he explains in the prologue, the book “is a total expose because I’m convinced this story has no value unless the entire truth is told. I’m not proud of everything I’ve done but these chapters contain the pieces that make up the jigsaw puzzle of my life. This is the truth.”
There would have been a very strong temptation for the author to deliberately write the book as an indictment of the Church, but he has wisely avoided this, always managing to keep the focus on his personal experiences and what he was thinking and feeling. However, the Church still doesn’t get off lightly, as the mere facts themselves are a more eloquent indictment of the Church than anything the author could have emoted.
Ultimately, as the theme that emerges is about being true to yourself, A Life of Unlearning should be compulsory reading for every man, woman and child in Australia, whether they’re gay or straight, young old, religious or non-religious. As The Hon. Michael Kirby states in the book’s foreword; “It is the story of his quest to find not only self-acceptance but one of the most powerful forces in nature – human love.”
Gary Fishlock, Editor SX 10 June 2004
There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. When guilt tries to tell you who you are, remember: your identity isn’t determined by your mistakes.
You’re not defined by what you’ve done wrong—you’re defined by what Christ has done right. Your worth isn’t measured by your performance; it’s established by His finished work on the cross.
Learn the difference between condemnation and conviction:
– Condemnation says “you’re bad”—it attacks your identity
– Conviction says “that behavior doesn’t match who you are”—it protects your identity
– Condemnation comes from the enemy who wants to destroy
– Conviction comes from the Spirit who loves your true identity
Condemnation is never from God. He doesn’t speak to you through shame, guilt, or identity attack. When the Holy Spirit corrects you, He does it from love that protects who you really are in Christ, not condemnation that tears down your worth.
Your new creation identity is secure regardless of your mistakes. When you mess up, you don’t become less righteous, less loved, or less valuable. You’re still completely forgiven, fully accepted, and perfectly positioned in Christ.
Kingdom routine: When condemnation tries to define you through past mistakes or current struggles, reset to rest in your true identity. Say, “I am righteous, holy, and beloved in Christ. That condemnation is not from my Father—it’s from the enemy who has no authority over my identity.”
The goal isn’t perfect behavior—it’s secure identity. When you know who you are in Christ, behavior naturally aligns with identity. When you’re trying to earn identity through behavior, condemnation becomes the weapon used against your heart.
You are not your mistakes. You are not your struggles. You are not your past. You are who God says you are in Christ, and that identity is unshakeable.
Hi Stephen. Don’t you think over the many years that I not only knew this but practiced it more times than I ccould count. I was still gay. I know I’m loved as I am. I understand grace. Please read A Life of Unlearning.