On October 2 millions of Indians remembered the one hundred and thirty sixth birthday of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. Another birthday was also celebrated that day; but a fourth, that of Exodus: India, a support network of Christians who help sexual strugglers overcome their problems. It is the newest member of the Exodus ministries already established in the Asia Pacific region in Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, New Zealand and Australia. Exodus ministries equip and educate the church on ministry to the sexual struggler as well as help the struggler overcome their problems encourage.
All Exodus ministries are members of the world wide Exodus Global Alliance.
Mr. Peter Lane, along with his wife Dot, founded the Exodus Indian network in Hyderabad in 2005. Based in Brisbane, Australia, they recently made their annual visit to India teaching on sexuality in Bible Colleges and Churches. Of particular interest and concern to Indian Christians this year had been the decriminalisation of homosexuality by the Delhi High Court on July 2, 2009. In a country where sexuality is rarely addressed in either the home or the Church this High Court decision has caused some Christians to consider carefully what is the Biblical response to homosexuals.
Speaking from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh State, Mr. Lane said that: “Our book Setting the Captives Free was written in 2007 to give understanding of how to minister to the sexual struggler and has already been published in Hindi, Tamil, Nepali and English. It has testimonies of men and women who have come to know freedom and healing from lives of sexual and relational brokenness. This year a DVD was made of the book, so on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday we felt was God’s perfect timing and opportunity to launch the DVD. As we already have Christians in Hyderabad and other parts of India who wish to be part of the Exodus India network, the DVD will be a good teaching resource.
Each year we travel to India with teaching in Christian churches and Bible colleges, a Biblical understanding of sexuality and how to counsel and care for sexual strugglers. We have met many Indian Christians who struggle with addiction to pornography and immorality, or are victims of child sexual abuse and know that often they have no one who understands or cares about their problems. Many Indian Christian leaders whom we have met are now are accepting that sexuality must be addressed within the Church yet, while this is a great step forward, recognize they do not have these skills. This year we spent time with Christians in both Bangalore and Hyderabad concerned about starting a ministry to internet pornography strugglers. This development is most encouraging
We believe Exodus: India can answer this problem by both supporting sexual strugglers in their change and equipping and educating the church to minister to them. Jesus is the example of to the Church worldwide in how to minister to sexual strugglers. He ministered, compassion, forgiveness and restoration for the sexual struggler while at the same time calling them, like all people, to lead lives of holiness.
The mission of the Church has always been to go into a hurt and broken world with the healing Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. For the Church in the 21st Century this must also include proclaiming a Gospel of Sexual Redemption.”
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