Living Hope Ministries in Arlington, TX. A place which attempts conversion therapy of Gays. Updated list of churches.
This post is the first in investigating Christians trying to convert Gay people. It is also about a church and individuals associated with this.
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As always I save items in the Internet Archive just in case they disappear from the Internet. Yes, this ties into a Dallas Morning News endorsement.
Living Hope Ministries Online Presence.
https://www.livehope.org/about-us/who-we-are/
https://www.livehope.org/articles/
https://www.livehope.org/about-us/history/
https://www.livehope.org/staffs/ricky-chelette/
Their Executive director is Ricky Chelette who is a “Pastoral Care Ministry Associate” at 1st Baptist of Arlington Church. That church will be documented in a separate post.
Their address is a P.O. Box now, and a physical address is not given.
They were one of the topics of a documentary about psychologists trying to change sexual orientation.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/aug/03/pray-away-netflix-documentary-conversion-therapy
From the Guardian Article above:
Julie Rodgers was 16 years old when her mother introduced her to Ricky Chelette, the “singles minister” at a Baptist church in Arlington, Texas, who coached LGBTQ+ youth on how to “change” their sexuality.
Baptist News article about the Living Hope Ministries when it was at 1st Baptist Church in Arlington.
Living Hope Ministries
Living Hope Ministries, based at First Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, is one of these religious organizations practicing sexual orientation change efforts. Since 2001, the church has been led by Dennis Wiles, who also is a member of the Baylor University Board of Regents and serves on the regents’ Executive Committee.
Living Hope has 28 partner churches that are largely located in Texas, but the ministry has national reach through its online programs. Three of Living Hope’s partner churches are located in Waco: Harris Creek Baptist Church, Antioch Community Church, and Church of the Open Door. Those churches all attract Baylor students.
Ricky Chelette, executive director of Living Hope and a pastoral staff member at First Baptist Arlington, said partner churches donate money and recommend members of their congregation who are attracted to the same sex or are transgender to get help at Living Hope.
Who are their Partner Churches?
This is their program to partner with churches to convert Gay people at those churches.
https://www.livehope.org/article/how-can-living-hope-help-you-or-your-church/
They mention operations in Arlington, Denton, Bryan, College Station in Texas. I haven’t been able to identify Churches involved in Bryan and College station. They say they have online programs where they don’t have groups present.
I haven’t been able to findout all the 28 partner churches in the Baptist News article above, since now it only lists two churches as endorsers, and the Internet Archive didn’t have the same webpage saved earlier.
I boldface churches in Dallas County and the City of Arlington.
The two churches currently listed at the following web page where the pastors are endorsers are.
The Village Church, Highland Village, Dallas, Denton, with endorsement by Senior Pastor Matt Chandler.
Harris Creek Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, with endorsement by Lead Pastor Jonathan Pokluda.
Daniel E. Crosby, Pastor First Baptist Cleburne, TX.
Gerson Santiago, Iglesia Emmanual, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
Other endorsers are:
Dr. Richard Lan, President Ethics and Liberty Commission. A part of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1988-2013. Executive Editor of the Christian Post. https://erlc.com/multi_author/richard-land/
Dr. Jimmy Draper, Task Force Chairman, Former President and CEO, Lifeway Christian Resources. Was former president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Barrett Duke, Vice President for Public Policy and Research, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention.
Ex-Gay named Veronica.
The following 28 churches are listed with the text, “If you are interested in a church that believes in the transformational power of the Gospel, check out one of these amazing, Bible-believing congregations!” Note very carefully, they don’t say that these churches are working with them, they just recommend them. The concept of plausible deniability comes to mind. However, none of these churches have asked to be pulled off this list.
First Baptist Arlington, Arlington, TX.
Denton Bible Church, Denton, TX.
Houston’s First Baptist Church, Houston, TX.
First Baptist Church, Midlothian, TX.
Alsbury Baptist Church, Burleson, TX.
Park Cities Presbyterian Church, Dallas, TX.
Rockpointe Church, Flowermound, TX.
Parkway Baptist Church, McKinney, TX.
Victory Life Church, Battle Creek, TX
Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, Carrollton, TX.
The Village Church, Highland Village, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Plano, TX.
First Baptist Church, Charleston, SC.
Cornerstone Baptist Church, Terrell, TX.
Southside City Church, Fort Worth, TX.
Riverbluff Church, Charleston, SC.
The Fields Church, Arlington, TX.
Gateway Church, Southlake, TX.
St. Michael’s Church, Charleston, SC.
Citizen Church, Albuquerque, NM.
City View Church, Fort Worth, TX.
Victory Church, Norcross, GA.
All Saints Anglican Church, Dallas, TX.
Trinity Fellowship, Armarillo, TX.
Church of the Open Door, Waco, TX.
Antioch Community Church, Waco, TX.
Antioch Community Church, Bryan, TX.
Antioch Community Church, Norman, OK.
https://www.livehope.org/get-involved/partner-churches/
However, their magazines are still online. However, the last issue online is in 2018.
https://www.livehope.org/magazines/
In the 2018 issue of Living Hope Ministries magazine we find these partner churches. The magazine says they were at 11 conferences, 10 seminaries and 42 churchs.
https://issuu.com/livinghopeministries/docs/lhm2018_version6
First Baptist Church, Arlington, TX.
The Harbor, Friendswood, TX.
First Baptist Church, Midlothian, TX.
Alsbury Baptist Church, Burleson, TX.
Victory Life Church, Battle Creek, MI.
Denton Bible Church, Denton, TX.
Fellowship Community Church, Phoenix, AZ.
Parks City Presbyterian Church, Dallas, TX.
Rockpointe Church, Flower Mound, TX.
Parkway Baptist Church, McKinney, TX.
In the 2015 issue of Living Hope Ministries Magazine. However, there are only 19 listed here, so what were the other 3 of the 22 mentioned by the Bapist Press, is yet to be found out.
https://issuu.com/livinghopeministries/docs/2015_lhm_magazine_new2web
First Baptist Church of Arlington, TX.
All Saints Anglican Church, Dallas, TX.
Friendswood Comm. Church, Friendswood, TX.
First Baptist Church, Midlothian, TX.
Alsbury Baptist Church, Burleson, TX.
Park Cities Presbyterian Church, Dallas, TX.
The Village Church, Flower Mound, Dallas, Fort Worth, TX.
Parkway Baptist Church, McKinney, TX.
Antioch Community Church, Waco, TX.
Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, Carollton, TX.
Rockpointe Church, Flowermound, TX.
Church of the Open Door, Waco, TX.
Cornerstone Baptist Church, Terrell, TX.
Southside City Church, Fort Worth, TX.
Victory Life Church, Battle Creek, MI.
Denton Bible Church, Denton, TX.
First Baptist Church, Charleston, SC.
Saint Michael’s Church, Charleston, SC.
Riverbluff Church, Charleston, SC.
The last magazine online is in 2021.
Fundraising Done at Park Cities Baptist
The online record stops in 2021, but that doesn’t mean that fundraisers aren’t still happening.
This is a flyer for the Living Hope Ministry Fundraiser at Park Cities Baptist Nov. 6, 2021.
https://issuu.com/livinghopeministries/docs/banquet_showbill_final_web_compressed
Ticket sales for fundraiser at Park Cities Baptist in 2018.
https://www.livehope.org/2018tickets/
Announcement of celebration at Park Cities Baptist in 2017.
https://www.livehope.org/2017/07/18/celebration-fundraising-banquet-oct-21/
There was even an app on the smartphones to change orientation.
Living Hope wrote Apple to complain about their removal.
https://www.livehope.org/2019/01/31/open_letter_apple/
News stories about Living Hope Ministries
https://www.fwweekly.com/2007/06/13/gay-cure/
Their anti-Gay and conversion webpages.
This is a video against accepting Gays.
https://www.livehope.org/2019/01/31/open_letter_apple/
This is titled, how do I help my Gay friend.
https://www.livehope.org/article/how-do-i-help-my-gay-friend/
https://www.livehope.org/course/understanding-gender-development-homosexuality-males/
These are testimonies by individuals that they were cured. We would be interested in the stories of individuals who were victims of Living Hope Ministries. There are many of these entries. These are two examples.
https://www.livehope.org/2022/06/14/im_nicholas/
https://www.livehope.org/testimonial/daniel-e-crosby/
Current Operations
We don’t know. They still exist. They have gone undercover it seems. We welcome all information that people can provide.
There are homophobic things slithering under the surface in the DFW area.
We can’t say this is the only conversion operation in existence. This is the only one we have tracked down so far. The Trevor project has a webpage saying there are 11 conversion therapists in Dallas, but they don’t give any information about who these persons might be.
We need to trackdown all the conversion therapists and operations and do what we can to shut these horrible operations down.
