Homosexuality and the Pentecostal Church (a student project)

Homosexuality and the Pentecostal Church

In 2006, Dr. Shane Clifton, then Professor of Theology and Ethics at the Australian Assemblies of God Bible College, Southern Cross (now Alphacrucis), addressed controversial topics such as abortion, euthanasia, and homosexuality in his Ethics class. To offer students a broader perspective on homosexuality, Dr. Clifton arranged a video interview after his request to have Anthony Venn-Brown speak at the college was declined.

As part of their final assessment, students chose a topic from the course and presented their findings to the entire class. One group produced a video titled Homosexuality and the Pentecostal Church for their project, which earned them a high distinction.

At the time, Anthony Venn-Brown’s autobiography, A Life of Unlearning, had become a bestseller and sold out. The students premiered their documentary at a meeting of the Sydney Freedom2b Chapter, and several of them attended and participated in the launch of the second edition, held at the Midnight Shift nightclub on Oxford Street.

Venn-Brown later founded Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International (ABBI), an organization dedicated to supporting the LGBTQI community. In 2020, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to the LGBTQI community. ABBI provides a wide range of resources and services tailored to individuals, church leaders, and Christian organizations. More information can be found here: https://www.abbi.org.au/resources/

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About the Author: Anthony Venn-Brown OAM

Anthony Venn-Brown OAM is one of Australia’s foremost commentators on faith and sexuality. A former Pentecostal leader who preached to thousands weekly in mega-churches like Hillsong, As a young man, Anthony was one of the first in the world to undergo religious conversion "therapy", a practice he has since spent decades successfully fighting to dismantle. He is the author of the bestselling autobiography and Australian gay classic, A Life of Unlearning, founder of Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International (ABBI). He was twice voted one of 'The 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians’ (2007 and 2009) and in 2020, Anthony was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his service to the LGBTIQ community.