Do People Change from Homosexuality? Hundreds of Stories of Hope and Transformation

 Here are stories of men and women, who identified as gay or struggled with homosexuality, but who believed — or came to believe — homosexuality was not part of God’s design for human sexuality and relationships. So, they began to move away from homosexuality and to steward their relationships and sexuality in a biblical manner.

Typically, this is a process of growth and change, not an instantaneous transformation. Nor is it easy or without relapse for most. But, their lives — identity, behavior, thoughts, goals, attitudes, motives and feelings — are no longer dominated by homosexuality.

In addition, it’s good to note that many of these men and women have been out of homosexuality for years ― even decades. And the transformation in their lives has helped bring greater wholeness to others in their families, churches and ministries. We hope you are encouraged and uplifted by the healing and freedom they’ve found.

Please note: Inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement or recommendation by Focus on the Family of an individual, a ministry or resources. This list is for informational purposes only. Many of these links deal with difficult and mature sexual and relational subjects and may not be appropriate for children. Parental discretion is advised. Not all those in this list are Christian ministries or individuals.

• “Just a ‘Good Christian Boy'”  tells Jeff Johnston’s story of struggling with homosexuality and finally finding help through counseling, Christian ministries and his church. Jeff serves as a ministry expert on this topic at Focus on the Family. Focus’ Thriving Values YouTube videos about homosexuality also feature his story (47:54 minute mark) along with those of others who chose to follow God’s design for sexuality.
• Focus on the Family has featured counselor and author Joe Dallas on our broadcast and at numerous conferences. His insight and teaching have helped thousands move toward Godly sexuality.
• God transformed songwriter and worship leader Dennis Jernigan with His deep love. You can hear Jernigan’s story on this Focus on the Family Broadcast, watch a documentary of his life or read his book to find out more of his change from homosexuality to child of God, husband and father.
• Restored Hope Network is a coalition of ministries for men and women who want to overcome relational and sexual sins, especially homosexuality. The website has a number of stories from men and women who’ve walked away from homosexuality, including their executive director, Anne Paulk, who writes and speaks about leaving lesbianism.
• Frank Worthen was one of the first leaders of a Christian ministry to those with unwanted homosexuality. His articles, books and ministry have helped thousands walk away from homosexuality.
• His Wonderful Works has posted a video with clips of 15 testimonies from men and women who tell of their healing and pursuit of sexual purity. Dee Barnes, the director, has written her story of leaving homosexuality and now calls others to experience the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
• Matt Moore is a Christian writer who tells about his struggles with homosexuality – including a very public fall and restoration. He explains that the goal is not to become “straight” or “heterosexual,” but writes, “Being in relationship with the true, living God of the Bible through his Son, Jesus Christ, is what you’re made for.”
• The Hope for Wholeness Network brings together ministries, counselors and churches helping those struggling with homosexuality to find freedom. The website offers testimonies from women and men who experienced change from homosexuality and transgenderism.
• Jean Lloyd tells her story about struggling with same-sex attractions and gender identity and finding freedom.
• Charlene Hios tells about leaving lesbianism on her ministry site and in Leadership Journal.
•  “Unicorns, Aliens & Bigfoot-My Post Gay Life” is a blog written by Matthew Aaron, who lived as gay for 10 years but no longer does. He mentors other men leaving homosexuality.
• Garry and Melissa (Coffey) Ingraham both came out of homosexuality. They run the Love and Truth Network, which features stories from several people choosing to steward their sexuality according to God’s design.
• Referring to his same-sex attractions, Pastor Allan Edwards told NPR, “I think I made conscious choices along the way to say this is something I experience, but this isn’t the thing that defines who I am personally.”
• Rosaria Champagne Butterfield was a feminist English professor involved in a lesbian relationship. While researching the “Religious Right,” she began reading the Bible and connected with a pastor and his wife. She tells her story of leaving lesbianism and following Christ in her book and in numerous articles and interviews.
• One-by-One is a ministry within the Presbyterian Church (USA) that lists several testimonies on their web site, including the stories of Tom, Kristin, Brad, and Maria.
• Where Grace Abounds has been ministering for years to those with sexual and relational issues. The stories at their site tell of people who’ve learned to trust God, worked to develop healthy friendships and found healing from past hurts.
• D.L. Foster founded Witness Freedom Ministries and tells his story of leaving homosexuality in his book, Touching a Dead Man: One Man’s Explosive Story of Deliverance from Homosexuality. His blog Gay Christian Movement Watch lists and links to 225 videos of former homosexuals.
• Exodus Global Alliance is a world-wide network of ministries helping people overcome homosexuality. Their site features 22 stories from men and women around the world who have found freedom from homosexuality. The site has books, testimonies and articles in other languages such as Chinese, Italian, French, German, Korean, Spanish and more.
• Pure Passion Media produces resources that proclaim the stories of men and women who’ve left homosexuality and come out of gender confusion. David Kyle Foster, the ministry founder, also tells the story of his own journey from drugs and sex addiction to salvation and ministry in his autobiography, Love Hunger. 
• Deborah Barr lived for 18 years as a lesbian, before encountering the Lord and having her life transformed. She describes her journey away from lesbianism in the book All Things New: A Former Lesbian’s Lifelong Search for Love, and disciples others leaving homosexuality.
• Living Out is a terrific web site with articles, resources and stories of people who are walking away from homosexuality, including Ed, Sam, Sean and Gaby, Vaughan, Mark and Peter.
• My same-sex attracted journey is a blog from a man who runs a website and groups for those with unwanted homosexuality, Joel 2:25, providing support and encouragement for those wanting an alternative to homosexuality.
• You can find 30 testimonies of God’s work in people’s lives at Living Hope Ministries. The ministry provides small groups, resources, a blog and a large online web forum.
• Courage is a Roman Catholic ministry for men and women choosing to live chaste lives in spite of same-sex attractions. Their website features over 200 chapters around the world, as well as dozens of stories from men and women who have benefited from their participation.
• In the article “Living with Same-sex Attraction,” five men and women describe their decision to honor God’s design for sexuality.
• In her book, Christy McFerren and her parents offer hope to families as she tells the story of her Baptist upbringing, a growing awareness of lesbian attractions, involvement with women, and the changes she experienced.<
• Dr. Oz ran an episode of his television program where he interviewed Christopher Doyle about coming out of homosexuality. He has gone on to help others with unwanted same-sex attractions.
• Robin Goodspeed has told her story of leaving lesbianism, testifying in several states in opposition of efforts to ban therapy for unwanted homosexuality.
• Hospitalized in the early 80s with AIDS-like symptoms, Mario Bergner tells of his encounter with Jesus Christ and of moving out of homosexuality in the book Setting Love in Order: Hope and Healing for the Homosexual. His ministry, Redeemed Lives International, has over a dozen pastoral care groups around the world.
• Featuring the stories of several men and women who came out of homosexuality, The Third Way is a film that explains Catholic Christian teaching about God’s design for human sexuality.
• Such Were Some of You is a powerful, award-winning documentary video from Mastering Life Ministries that tells the stories of more than two dozen men and women who’ve left homosexuality.
• Christine Sneeringer heads up Worthy Creations, a ministry to those with unwanted homosexuality. She has told the story of God’s work in her life in numerous venues.
• First Stone Ministries has worked for over 30 years to help men and women find freedom from homosexuality. Read the stories of director Stephen Black, other staff members and of those helped by this ministry.
• Dan Hitz leads Reconciliation Ministries, in Michigan, and tells of God reaching into his life with transforming power. The ministry web site features many stories, testimonies and articles from those who’ve left homosexuality.
• Desert Stream Ministries was founded by Andrew Comiskey in 1980 to bring help and healing to those struggling with homosexuality and other forms of sexual and relational brokenness. Since then, Andrew has written books, spoken at conferences and developed several programs, such as Living Waters, that run in churches and ministries across the U. S. and around the world. His obedience and God’s work in his life have influenced thousands for good. Their vimeo page includes video teaching and testimonies.
• Aguas Vitas, a ministry for Spanish-speaking individuals, provides resources, testimonies and support groups around the world.
• Janet Boynes felt God’s call on her life – a call in love that brought her out of homosexuality. Having come through many difficulties and struggles, she shares the story of God’s grace and transforming love in her book Called Out: A Former Lesbians Discovery of Freedom.
• CPR Outreach – Caring, Preventing and Restoring – has testimonies on its website.
• Although Robin Teresa Beck grew up with some biblical teaching and made a decision for Christ at an early age, she struggled with attractions to women and spent over 30 years in lesbian relationships. Now she writes and speaks about her journey back to faith.
• Barbara Swallow shares her story in Free Indeed: One Woman’s Victory over Lesbianism and on her ministry website.
• Oupost Ministries has operated in Minnesota for almost 40 years, assisting men and women seeking freedom from unwanted same-sex attractions. The website includes testimonies from staffand participants.
• Gay… Such Were Some of Us: Stories of Transformation and Change, is a book with 15 stories of men and women who wrestled with homosexuality and experienced God’s intervention in their lives. Published by Harvest USA, a ministry connected with the Presbyterian Church USA, the ministry also has testimonies on its website.
• In “My Story & Journey of Sexual Integrity,” Jayson Graves, Director of Healing for the Soul, tells the story of his journey from unwanted homosexuality and sexual addiction toward wholeness.
• Jeanette Howard is the author of Out of Egypt and Into The Promised Land: Beyond The Lesbian Struggle. She lives in England, where she counsels and teaches those seeking to leave homosexuality behind.
• Michael Glatze was a homosexual-identified activist and the co-founder of a magazine for gay-identified youth. Michael left homosexuality, eventually marrying and becoming a pastor. The film I Am Michael is a dramatized version of his life.
• Brenna Kate Simonds wrote for Focus on the Family’s Boundless, a ministry to young adults, where she told her story “Out of Lesbianism.” She tells more in her book, Learning to Walk in Freedom: A Journey in Five Steps and at her blog, Living Unveiled.
• Christopher Yuan was serving time in prison for dealing drugs and found out he was HIV positive. His praying mother never gave up, and Christopher began following Christ.
• Hear Me is a short documentary, including some “spoken word poetry,” of a young same-sex attracted college student who is learning about God’s grace for him.
• Michael Newman began his journey away from homosexuality and toward wholeness in the 1980s. He heads up Christian Coalition for Reconciliation and continues to tell his story around the world.
• PFOX – Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays – has short videos of men and women who came out of homosexuality.
• Since 1980, Portland Fellowship had been proclaiming freedom for those in captivity to sexual sin. The director, Jason Thompson has developed several programs for youth and adults with unwanted same-sex attractions, and for their families and friends. Their website features a number of redemptive stories.
• The website Voices of Change is a secular site listing over 100 written, audio and video testimonies of those who’ve left or are in the process of leaving homosexuality.
• Dr. Oz ran an episode of his television program where he interviewed Rich Wyler about coming out of homosexuality. Wyler has gone on to help others with unwanted same-sex attractions through People Can Change, a secular organization.
• The Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) website Voices of Hope has more than 70 videos and essays from women and men who are walking away from homosexuality.
• In her book Prodigal Daughter: Returning Home to the Father’s Embrace, Amy Lee Kemp shares her story of overcoming drug and alcohol abuse, depression, anger, homelessness – and homosexuality. She works with the ministry Recipients of Grace.
• NARTH Institute is a group of mental health professionals which functions as the Clinical and Research Division of the Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity – lists other personal stories of growth.
• Homosexuals Anonymous is an international organization dedicated to serving the recovery of men and women with unwanted same-sex attractions. They have testimonies of change from homosexuality from around the world.
• New Hearts Outreach, in Tampa Bay, Florida, has video testimonies at their web site; in addition, their staff testifies to lives changed by Christ.
• For as long as she could remember, Patti Height was attracted to other women. She found healing and freedom and helps others through her ministry, Out of Egypt Ministries.
• Ministering to men and women with unwanted homosexuality, Carolina New Song Ministries offers the stories of Will, Cathy and Thomas, who left homosexuality to follow Jesus Christ.
• Desire of the Everlasting Hills is a video that shows the stories of Rilene, Dan and Paul as they journey out of homosexuality and return to their Roman Catholic faith. Dan has written a book about his life, with helps for those pursuing chastity, Why I Don’t Call Myself Gay. 
• Living Stones, a ministry for friends and family members of homosexual-identified men and women, features testimonies on its website.
• God led Dean Bailey on a journey of trust to Jesus – and away from the “sexual confusion of homosexual behaviors.” You can read more at his website and in his book, Beyond the Shades of Gray.

• As an added bonus, here are some stories of people who struggled with transgenderism – and were able to find healing and wholeness. Be encouraged that those with gender confusion can be changed. It’s not an easy road, but some find their way out, through God’s grace, truth and kindness.

• Help 4 Families is ministry for men and women experiencing gender confusion – and a support for their loved ones. The website has personal stories of those who have left transgenderism and those who were affected by this issue.
• More than 20 years ago, Walt Heyer underwent “sexual reassignment surgery.” In his own words, “Years of looking like and living as a woman did not bring the promised treatment or relief.” He describes the journey back to manhood at his website and in his book, A Transgender’s Faith. Paper Genders tells about the false promise of such surgeries.
• The most important thing in Sy Rogers’ life has been his “ongoing submission to God made possible because of Jesus Christ,” this despite struggling with transgenderism and homosexuality.