Comments on: Michael Bussee speaks out about Exodus

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:26:31 +0000

whew! what an intense ping-pong match of semantics! i’m tired just reading it.

Back in 1978 i went out to Melodyland and interviewed Michael Bussee regarding Exodus. i planned to write an article for a Milwaukee paper.

At the time of the interview i was already a “saved” and born again Christian. i was also unappologetically gay.

i guess something i want to interject after more than thirty years of intense study of comparative religions is that i have come to the conclusion that all religion is a mass delusion that leads to hatred and destruction. My suggestion is that rather allowing yourself to be continuously endrenched in beliefs that lead to both self-hatred and the prejudicial hatred of others you go beyond the narrow mythologic tales and study real life, devoid of these mythic delusions. It’s much more enriching than the narrow scope we often allow ourselves to be entrapped in.

By: Steve Recher

Steve Recher — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:24:37 +0000

Wow! Just spent the last hour reading through this blog. Thanks Dr. T for hosting it. What memories it brings back. I was one of those 62 people who attended the original Exodus Conference at Melodyland Christian Center back in September of 1976. I remember the keynote speaker was Dr. Walter Martin and I enjoyed listening to him in person far more than on the radio! I met Greg, & Robbi there (hi Robbi, it’s been such a long time), quality people & excellent brother & sister in the Lord. There was a lot of energy and hustle & bustle to that gathering, & I add my small 2 cents that lots of effort had been put into the organizing & conducting of the conference. What I remember most, though, was sitting down with Mike for a brief conversation after lunch & asking him a personal question. The answer I got back was incredibly honest, more than anything else I had heard at the entire gathering, & still sticks with me 30 years later. Odd what small nuggets we hold onto. Thanks Mike.

By: Michael Bussee

Michael Bussee — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 19:19:00 +0000

For anyone who still cares about such things, I railed on Alan Chambers and EXODUS Global Alliance for WEEKS to get them to be truthful about EXOUDS history. Alan kept stalling, saying that they were “going through re=writes”. The EXODUS Global Alliance “Our History” item USED to say “Frank Worthen organized the (1976) conference…”

Now, after all that hassle and all the “re-writes” is says:

“1976 Frank Worthen is one of the people who organize (sic) conference of ex-gay ministries in the USA.” They couldn’t even get the grammar correct.

If they didn’t want to mention me or Gary, I had suggested to Alan Chambers that they might just say “EXODUS was formed as a loose-knit coalition of ministries in 1976.”

That would have been both historically and grammatically correct. Why are they so BENT on trying to make it sound Like Frank Worthen started it?

By: Michael Bussee

Michael Bussee — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 23:34:00 +0000

I just got a call from my ex-wife, Ann, a lovely Christian woman, a great Mom — and still in agreement with much of what EXODUS has to say. She has actually been a guest speaker for EXODUS on nmuerous occasions since Gary and I left.

She said that she always thought of EXODUS as a “group project” — she remmided me of all work she (and others) put into organizing the first conference — even the menu! — pounds and pounds of home-made potato salad, sandwiches, coffee and blueberry cobbler.

She agreed that Frank Worthen should not be considered THE “organizer” of the first EXODUS conference — repeating her memory that the staff at Melodyland Hotline Center (Gary Cooper included) worked hard on the project — and were the real “organizers” — not Frank Worthen.

Frank certainly helped get all of the young “ministires” in touch with each other — otherwise, EXODUS would not have happened. I am not trrying to discredit Frank. We all looked up to him and admired his work with Love In Action.

Ann has met Frank many times and states that even Frank does not think he should be called “the” founder or “the” organizer.

IN all honesty, even She didn’t remember Gary doing much publically. I reminded her that this was because Gary was trying to keep “low-profile” because of his three kids.

I also reminded her that Gary and I worked on details and organizational details of the conference itself, while she and her volunteers focussed on the food, registration and welcome.

So, hopefully, folks will finally quit quabbling (me incluided) about who strated the whole thing. It HAPPENED. Many of us helped. That’s the truth.

By: Michael Bussee

Michael Bussee — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 04:00:00 +0000

Well, they finally corrected it. It took weeks of wrangling, emails, phones calls to EXODUS and lots of posts on this blog, but EXODUS finally corrected it — kinda.

The EXODUS Global Alliance webpage (under “About us” and “Our History”) says Frank Worthen was “one of the people who organize conference (sic) of ex-gay ministries…”

No one but Frank Worthen is mentioned (no mention of me, Gary Cooper or any of the other original co-founders) — and they still use the term “ex-gay” — even though Alan Chambers says the term is “more negative than anything, should be done away with and never used again.”

Close. Better. But still no cigar.