Torch, Fall/Winter 2007

carefully, we work hard to understand other viewpoints, and we express truth with compassion, humility, and gentleness. Some people feel that these qualities are inconsistent with the confidence that we should have in biblical truth. On the contrary, these are biblical Christian virtues [Eph. 4:2, Col. 3:12] that attract people to the Gospel. Q: How did you prepare? It’s impossible to overemphasize the critically important role that prayer played in preparing our campus for the Soulforce visit. We received so many notes promising prayer support from parents, alumni, and even grandparents during the months before the visit. While people away from campus were praying, we were busy preparing our students. I can’t say enough about the involvement of our faculty. Scholars from different academic disciplines [many of whom have contributed to this issue of TORCH ] worked together to present workshops and chapel presentations to prepare our students to articulate a biblical response to this critical social issue, to respond biblically when facing opposition, and to share the Gospel with those who would be on campus. Q: What resources did you provide for students? At the beginning of the process, we published a website [ www.cedarville.edu/speakingtruth ] with resources not only for students, but also for alumni, parents, and churches who are facing this issue. We distributed printed materials ( The Gay Debate by Stanton Jones) to every student. Melissa Fryrear from Focus on the Family spoke in chapel in December, and we invited Chad Thompson, author of Loving Homosexuals Like Jesus Would, to be on campus for training the day before the visit. Q: Based on Cedarville’s experience, what advice could you give to churches about ministering to those who are struggling? Churches and organizations like Cedarville need to focus on providing resources, role models, and relationships. Organizations like Exodus [ www. exodus-international.org ], Love In Action T [ www.loveinaction.org ], and Focus on the Family [ www.family.org ] are great resources for information and referrals. We also need to be more intentional about providing role models of people who have successfully overcome homosexual temptation. In the spirit of 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, the organizations listed above provide speakers and testimonials from those formerly caught in the homosexual lifestyle who have experienced repentance and forgiveness and are now fully included in the life of the church. And finally, people who are dealing with homosexual temptation need healthy relationships with godly people who are willing to draw alongside them with friendship, prayer, patience, and affection as they seek to overcome this temptation. Q: How did the day go? A day that could have been marked with loud exchanges, arrests, and conflict ended with tears, handshakes, and a few hugs. At the end of the day, a group of faculty, staff, students, one trustee, and I sat in the DeVries Theatre of the Stevens Student Center with the 25 representatives from Soulforce. Everyone in the room was silent, and a few were in tears. Sara [name changed], a member of Soulforce, spoke. Sara was not gay, but she was an atheist. She had come to campus braced for arguments, angry exchanges, and a long day of dirty looks and hateful clichés. Cedarville surprised her. People treated her with kindness and respect. She said that the students were good listeners and that they asked very tough, probing questions. She went so far as to acknowledge that her conversations with students stirred up questions that she would have to explore. Then the day ended and the Soulforce visit was behind us. The bus left campus, but those of us who remained in the theatre prayed. We prayed for the 25 young people who had just heard and hopefully experienced the Gospel. We prayed for each other. We prayed for students who might be struggling with temptation in this area, and we prayed for alumni and friends of the University who in one way or another are touched by this issue. Our preparation started with prayer. It was fitting to end the day that way. Fall–Winter 2007 29