Anthony Venn-Brown

A Life of Unlearning
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I was a leader in the Assemblies of God denomination and a popular preacher in the mega churches of Australia as well as overseas. Living in that context meant I believed that my attraction to the same sex was an abomination and made me unacceptable to God and others.
For 22 years I tried desperately to change through psychiatric treatment, exorcisms, exgay programs, 40-day fasts and daily struggles with his ‘problem’. After 16 years of marriage, I eventually had to admit that nothing had changed. In 1991, I faced the toughest decision of my life; be true to myself and lose everything he held dear or live a lie.
In 2004 my autobiography, ‘A Life of Unlearning’, won the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Business Association’s ‘Book of the Year’. A Life of Unlearning – A Journey to Find the Truth is Australia’s Brokeback Mountain and Ted Haggard stories rolled into one. It’s a behind the scenes look into my life as a high profile preacher struggling to resolve my homosexuality and my Christian beliefs. Ultimately, A Life of Unlearning’ is as story of resolution, the impact my story has had on others and what it means to live authentically.
FORMER
1. Assemblies of God leader who contributed to the growth and transformation of the denomination
2. Regular preacher in all the mega churches of Australia and overseas (e.g. Hillsong, Paradise AOG Adelaide, Garden City Brisbane, City Life Church Melbourne) preaching to audiences of up to 5,000
3. Supported by Frank and Brian Houston (National President, Assemblies of God in Australia and Senior Pastor, Hillsong Church) and also Hon Andrew Evans (Family First Party leader)
4. Founder of Youth Alive NSW (now meets in the Super Dome, Olympic Park)
5. Founder and Director of Every Believer Evangelism
6. First Pentecostal appointed to the Australian Committee of the Lausanne Congress for World Evangelism
7. Believed that homosexuality was a sin, the result of a dysfunctional upbringing and that God could miraculously change homosexuals into heterosexuals
8. Closeted, tormented gay man, doing everything possible to appear and be heterosexual
CURRENT
1. Award wining author of 'A Life of Unlearning – A journey to find the truth' Foreword by Hon. Michael Kirby
2. Spokesperson for various Gay & Lesbian Community Groups on Religious Issues
3. Co Founder and President of Freedom 2 b(e), a global network for GLBTIQ people from Pentecostal/Charismatic backgrounds
4. Gay Ambassador, breaking down barriers and dispelling myths by creating an informed, respectful dialogue about same sex orientation.
5. Australia’s first openly gay Pentecostal and leading ex-ex-gay
6. Attend Hillsong Church, Waterloo, Sydney
7. Understand that sexual orientation is determined by prenatal biological factors and is no more abnormal than red hair or being left handed. Changing a person’s same sex attraction is not even on God’s agenda. However, injustice, prejudice, discrimination and hatred are.
8. Proud, fulfilled, gay man who has resolved all issues of faith and sexuality
Download Chapter 1 'The Confession' FREE on the book page of www.anthonyvennbrown.com
You can also download the audio book on www.audible.com Amazon and Itunes. The CD's can be purchased from Bolinda Publishing / www.bolinda.com