John Freeman: Reaching the Sexually Broken
Like many of his fellow seminarians, John Freeman entered Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia, Pa. envisioning a pastoral ministry with a local congregation. A funny thing happened, however, on the way to the pulpit: he crossed paths with Jack Miller and Harvey Conn, members of the seminary faculty. Their philosophy of missions work shattered Freeman’s preconceptions, planting seeds for a ministry he could have never imagined.
Conn walked with a pronounced limp, a daily reminder of a back alley attack suffered years before in South Korea, sustained while he and his wife were telling prostitutes about the good news of Jesus Christ. “They continued that work while they were there, and Jack bore the scars of what he had been doing,” Freeman says.
Hidden Peoples in Our Churches
Both Miller and Conn explained the importance of directing mission work to specific “people groups,” which they defined as any group with a self-perceived identity that bonded them together and caused them to grow and flourish as a group, creating their own sub-culture. But what caught Freeman’s attention was their current focus—on homosexuals. They pointed out the need not only to reach the gay community outside the Church, but also within it.
“They said the real ‘hidden peoples’ are those already in our churches, bringing with them the emotional, relational, and spiritual baggage of sexual brokenness. These people sit in the pews silent about their struggles, never believing anyone could—or would—want to help them. Some of them live conflicting, secret lives for many years.”
Those words resonated with Freeman. “It was the first time I had heard something like that. Mercy ministry, they said, was preaching the gospel of redemption to the discarded and disenfranchised, and they helped me understand that people struggling with sexual issues fit that category.”
Another reason he connected with this admonition was his own life experience. Freeman had grown up in Tennessee as part of “a typical non-Christian family, receiving no spiritual input.” Because his father was in construction work, Freeman’s family relocated frequently, and on several occasions he was the victim of sexual abuse by neighbors, “mostly older peers.” As a teenager he became “sexually confused, and heavily involved in pornography.”
Lasting Change and the Need for Community
After dropping out of college, Freeman got a job with the U.S. Postal Service in Chattanooga, Tenn. There he was befriended by a coworker who, in 1974, introduced him to Jesus Christ. That friend, Conrad Herron, had been praying for him with a group at Hixson Presbyterian Church. When Freeman agreed to visit the church with Herron, he was greeted by people who “put feet on the gospel” and helped him to enjoy genuine, caring relationships for the first time.
“All forms of sexual struggle have a relationship basis – people not knowing how to have healthy relationships with others. Becoming a part of a community of believers had a profound impact on me. I believe lasting change cannot be sustained apart from community, people committed to being involved with others,” he says.
Another significant benefit he gained at Hixson Presbyterian was being introduced to a Covenant College student, Penny Nelson, through his pastor. She became his wife in 1977.
The Birth of a Ministry
Freeman later returned to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, earning a history degree, and then enrolled at Westminster Seminary in 1980. At Hixson Presbyterian, Freeman’s pastor had been his mentor; serving in a similar capacity seemed a likely path to follow—until he met Miller and Conn.
“Here were two men identifying places where the gospel is desperately needed, legitimate avenues for Christian engagement. They told me that when God gives you a burden, you’ve got to pray diligently about it; you can’t let it dissipate. They talked about attempting to do great things for God and expecting Him to show up in the midst of it.
“I began checking out what avenues already existed and learned that members of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, led by Dr. James Boice at the time, shared a similar burden. I called the church and then met with the Rev. Glenn McDowell, who told me that a small group had been praying about this for months, asking God what He wanted them to do. They invited me to come over and talk.”
So Freeman and two fellow seminarians went to the church in the fall of 1983, joined the prayer team, and initiated an outreach to homosexuals on a volunteer basis. In 1985, he became the first staff person for Harvest USA, which became an official mercy ministry of the PCA.
“If it hadn’t been for Dr. Boice, Glenn McDowell, and the small prayer group, there never would have been a Harvest USA,” said Freeman. “They were willing to step out on a limb, to do a type of ministry they had never done before.”
Fast-forward 23 years. Freeman continues to serve as executive director for Harvest USA, although he has seen his role—and that of the ministry—change dramatically over the years. The sexual landscape itself is markedly different.
In general, society has become more sympathetic to the so-called “gay lifestyle.” We see ample evidence of this in the media. More than 3,000 gay and lesbian clubs operate freely in middle schools and high schools across the country, he says. In Philadelphia alone, more than 250 organizations exist to affirm individuals in their homosexuality.
Today, comments against same-sex relationships are deemed politically incorrect and labeled “homophobic.” Freeman, unlike Conn, does not bear physical scars from ministering to people in sexual bondage, but he has encountered considerable opposition.
“We have received hundreds of abusive phone calls. I’ve received threats, even being told to check my exhaust when I start my car because one day there will be a bomb in it. I had rotten eggs thrown on me as I talked to guys in front of a gay bar.”
Unfortunately, he also has faced opposition inside the Church. “Once a pastor told me that ours was a ‘disgusting’ ministry and declared no one ever really changes. Members of missions committees have told me they didn’t want to support ‘that kind’ of ministry. I have had church leaders tell me, ‘I don’t care. Let ‘em all go to hell!’ A millionaire who easily could have written a large check to support us told me, ‘I wouldn’t touch your kind of ministry with a 10-foot pole.’”
But the sting of such venomous attitudes has been more than salved by the positive responses Freeman and his staff have received through the years. He recalls flying from Philadelphia to Orlando, Fla., sitting next to a stand-up comic en route to a “gig.” During their conversation, Freeman learned two intriguing facts about his seatmate: he had drifted from his Christian faith years before, and the “gig” was appearing as a cross-dresser and female impersonator in “the most notorious gay club in Orlando.”
“When I handed him my business card and he saw what I did, he turned pale and changed the subject. But as we were leaving the plane, I put my hand firmly on his shoulder and said, ‘About the cross-dressing and gay stuff—been there, done that! Jesus has a better plan for your life and is still there for you.’ Then I invited him to dinner the next time he was in town.
“As he shook my hand, I remember thinking, ‘I’ll never see this guy again.’ But he did call me, and has stayed in touch.”
Freeman remembers touring Washington, D.C., with his family and meeting a Secret Service agent near the White House. After learning the agent was also from Philadelphia, Freeman discovered he had been a member at Tenth Presbyterian, “coincidentally” having been introduced to Christ by a man Freeman had led to the Lord years earlier. “There I was speaking to my spiritual ‘grandchild.’ You never know what one person led to Christ will do in God’s greater plan for His kingdom.”
Pornography: A Lethal Killer Within the Church
Increasingly, Miller and Conn’s comments about ministering to sexually broken people inside the Church have proven prophetic. Regularly, Freeman receives calls from pastors wrestling with how to help members with sexual struggles, not only homosexuality but also pornography and other forms of brokenness. During one week some months ago, three churches contacted him about having to dismiss youth pastors for Internet porn addiction.
Physicians talk about high blood pressure as being a “silent killer.” Within the church, Freeman says, pornography addiction is just as quiet, but even more lethal. “Not long ago a pastor called, seeking help. He told me, ‘I think pornography usage among men in my church has become an epidemic. But frankly, I’m afraid to take the lid off it.’”
Presbyteries interviewing pastoral candidates sometimes get distressing replies when they broach the topic of pornography, according to Freeman. And at the 2006 PCA General Assembly, after presenting a workshop about ministering to the sexually broken, he was approached by numerous church leaders eager for his advice.
For this reason, the focus of Harvest USA is shifting from ministering strictly to individuals and families, putting larger emphasis on training and equipping churches to understand and respond more effectively to people in their midst dealing with sexual brokenness. They have developed seminars to address the topic, including “Pursuing Purity in a Sex-Saturated Society” and “Sexual Brokenness in Your Church—the Shape of Redemptive Ministry.” Steps are underway to unburden Freeman from day-to-day operational duties so he can concentrate on working with church leaders in this critical area.
“Over the past five years, we have spent much of our time dealing with men involved with pornography and other sexual addictions,” Freeman says. “The pervasiveness of the Internet is a large factor. It used to be people had to bear the shame of going to a public place to purchase pornographic materials. Now, instant access and anonymity provided by the Internet make it an unconquerable temptation for many men—and increasingly, women. Before, you had to go looking for the stuff; now it goes looking for you.”
For this reason, he observes, the Church must become more intentional in dealing with sexual issues. “Historically, the Church has not been good in dealing with sexual stigma. But as with anything else the Bible talks about, we need to be more proactive.
“Yes, we are politically incorrect,” Freeman notes. “Yes, sex is an embarrassing subject to many people, especially to many Christians. Yet it goes deeper than that. We dare to say that the cross of Jesus Christ must redefine all of life.”
An underlying principle of Harvest USA’s work is not focusing on a person’s sexual sin, but helping each one discover the life-changing power of Christ’s love, grace, and mercy. “We actually don’t spend a lot of time talking about people’s homosexuality or pornography problems. We talk about how Jesus wants to transform our hearts. When that transformation begins, the things we once loved pale in comparison as Christ embraces us with His love.
“To have a voice in this world requires humility. We must acknowledge our own sins—adultery, divorce, lust, abandonment of children—as we speak to those we want to influence for Christ. As we read in 2 Chronicles 7:14, God is calling us to humble ourselves and to seek His face, renouncing our own sinful behaviors.
“We need to be models of the hope and mercy that the Scriptures tell us never run out. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the fruit that comes through a relationship with God when people become radically honest about the things that hold their hearts prisoner.”
John Freeman—what could be a more fitting name for someone who has devoted much of his life to helping those in sexual bondage discover how they can become freed men and women, through the transforming power of Christ?
Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a ministry to business and professional leaders, based in Atlanta, Ga. He is the author of Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace (River City Press) and co-author of The Heart of Mentoring with David A. Stoddard (NavPress).
About Harvest USA
Harvest USA, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., was established in 1983. Originally designed as an outreach to the homosexual community, today it has expanded into a ministry focused on equipping the church to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to those affected by or struggling with sexual brokenness in all of its forms.
It currently has offices in Philadelphia, Pa., and Chattanooga, Tenn., with a third office planned for Pittsburgh, Pa. For more information about training and other resources available through Harvest USA, call (215) 482-0111, email info@harvestusa.org, or visit www.harvestusa.org.
Readers may contact John Freeman directly at his confidential email address, john@harvestusa.org.
After dropping out of college, Freeman got a job with the U.S. Postal Service in Chattanooga, Tenn. There he was befriended by a coworker who, in 1974, introduced him to Jesus Christ. That friend, Conrad Herron, had been praying for him with a group at Hixson Presbyterian Church. When Freeman agreed to visit the church with Herron, he was greeted by people who “put feet on the gospel” and helped him to enjoy genuine, caring relationships for the first time.
“All forms of sexual struggle have a relationship basis – people not knowing how to have healthy relationships with others. Becoming a part of a community of believers had a profound impact on me. I believe lasting change cannot be sustained apart from community, people committed to being involved with others,” he says.
Another significant benefit he gained at Hixson Presbyterian was being introduced to a Covenant College student, Penny Nelson, through his pastor. She became his wife in 1977.
The Birth of a Ministry
Freeman later returned to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, earning a history degree, and then enrolled at Westminster Seminary in 1980. At Hixson Presbyterian, Freeman’s pastor had been his mentor; serving in a similar capacity seemed a likely path to follow—until he met Miller and Conn.
“Here were two men identifying places where the gospel is desperately needed, legitimate avenues for Christian engagement. They told me that when God gives you a burden, you’ve got to pray diligently about it; you can’t let it dissipate. They talked about attempting to do great things for God and expecting Him to show up in the midst of it.
“I began checking out what avenues already existed and learned that members of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, led by Dr. James Boice at the time, shared a similar burden. I called the church and then met with the Rev. Glenn McDowell, who told me that a small group had been praying about this for months, asking God what He wanted them to do. They invited me to come over and talk.”
So Freeman and two fellow seminarians went to the church in the fall of 1983, joined the prayer team, and initiated an outreach to homosexuals on a volunteer basis. In 1985, he became the first staff person for Harvest USA, which became an official mercy ministry of the PCA.
“If it hadn’t been for Dr. Boice, Glenn McDowell, and the small prayer group, there never would have been a Harvest USA,” said Freeman. “They were willing to step out on a limb, to do a type of ministry they had never done before.”
Fast-forward 23 years. Freeman continues to serve as executive director for Harvest USA, although he has seen his role—and that of the ministry—change dramatically over the years. The sexual landscape itself is markedly different.
In general, society has become more sympathetic to the so-called “gay lifestyle.” We see ample evidence of this in the media. More than 3,000 gay and lesbian clubs operate freely in middle schools and high schools across the country, he says. In Philadelphia alone, more than 250 organizations exist to affirm individuals in their homosexuality.
Today, comments against same-sex relationships are deemed politically incorrect and labeled “homophobic.” Freeman, unlike Conn, does not bear physical scars from ministering to people in sexual bondage, but he has encountered considerable opposition.
“We have received hundreds of abusive phone calls. I’ve received threats, even being told to check my exhaust when I start my car because one day there will be a bomb in it. I had rotten eggs thrown on me as I talked to guys in front of a gay bar.”
Unfortunately, he also has faced opposition inside the Church. “Once a pastor told me that ours was a ‘disgusting’ ministry and declared no one ever really changes. Members of missions committees have told me they didn’t want to support ‘that kind’ of ministry. I have had church leaders tell me, ‘I don’t care. Let ‘em all go to hell!’ A millionaire who easily could have written a large check to support us told me, ‘I wouldn’t touch your kind of ministry with a 10-foot pole.’”
But the sting of such venomous attitudes has been more than salved by the positive responses Freeman and his staff have received through the years. He recalls flying from Philadelphia to Orlando, Fla., sitting next to a stand-up comic en route to a “gig.” During their conversation, Freeman learned two intriguing facts about his seatmate: he had drifted from his Christian faith years before, and the “gig” was appearing as a cross-dresser and female impersonator in “the most notorious gay club in Orlando.”
“When I handed him my business card and he saw what I did, he turned pale and changed the subject. But as we were leaving the plane, I put my hand firmly on his shoulder and said, ‘About the cross-dressing and gay stuff—been there, done that! Jesus has a better plan for your life and is still there for you.’ Then I invited him to dinner the next time he was in town.
“As he shook my hand, I remember thinking, ‘I’ll never see this guy again.’ But he did call me, and has stayed in touch.”
Freeman remembers touring Washington, D.C., with his family and meeting a Secret Service agent near the White House. After learning the agent was also from Philadelphia, Freeman discovered he had been a member at Tenth Presbyterian, “coincidentally” having been introduced to Christ by a man Freeman had led to the Lord years earlier. “There I was speaking to my spiritual ‘grandchild.’ You never know what one person led to Christ will do in God’s greater plan for His kingdom.”
Pornography: A Lethal Killer Within the Church
Increasingly, Miller and Conn’s comments about ministering to sexually broken people inside the Church have proven prophetic. Regularly, Freeman receives calls from pastors wrestling with how to help members with sexual struggles, not only homosexuality but also pornography and other forms of brokenness. During one week some months ago, three churches contacted him about having to dismiss youth pastors for Internet porn addiction.
Physicians talk about high blood pressure as being a “silent killer.” Within the church, Freeman says, pornography addiction is just as quiet, but even more lethal. “Not long ago a pastor called, seeking help. He told me, ‘I think pornography usage among men in my church has become an epidemic. But frankly, I’m afraid to take the lid off it.’”
Presbyteries interviewing pastoral candidates sometimes get distressing replies when they broach the topic of pornography, according to Freeman. And at the 2006 PCA General Assembly, after presenting a workshop about ministering to the sexually broken, he was approached by numerous church leaders eager for his advice.
For this reason, the focus of Harvest USA is shifting from ministering strictly to individuals and families, putting larger emphasis on training and equipping churches to understand and respond more effectively to people in their midst dealing with sexual brokenness. They have developed seminars to address the topic, including “Pursuing Purity in a Sex-Saturated Society” and “Sexual Brokenness in Your Church—the Shape of Redemptive Ministry.” Steps are underway to unburden Freeman from day-to-day operational duties so he can concentrate on working with church leaders in this critical area.
“Over the past five years, we have spent much of our time dealing with men involved with pornography and other sexual addictions,” Freeman says. “The pervasiveness of the Internet is a large factor. It used to be people had to bear the shame of going to a public place to purchase pornographic materials. Now, instant access and anonymity provided by the Internet make it an unconquerable temptation for many men—and increasingly, women. Before, you had to go looking for the stuff; now it goes looking for you.”
For this reason, he observes, the Church must become more intentional in dealing with sexual issues. “Historically, the Church has not been good in dealing with sexual stigma. But as with anything else the Bible talks about, we need to be more proactive.
“Yes, we are politically incorrect,” Freeman notes. “Yes, sex is an embarrassing subject to many people, especially to many Christians. Yet it goes deeper than that. We dare to say that the cross of Jesus Christ must redefine all of life.”
An underlying principle of Harvest USA’s work is not focusing on a person’s sexual sin, but helping each one discover the life-changing power of Christ’s love, grace, and mercy. “We actually don’t spend a lot of time talking about people’s homosexuality or pornography problems. We talk about how Jesus wants to transform our hearts. When that transformation begins, the things we once loved pale in comparison as Christ embraces us with His love.
“To have a voice in this world requires humility. We must acknowledge our own sins—adultery, divorce, lust, abandonment of children—as we speak to those we want to influence for Christ. As we read in 2 Chronicles 7:14, God is calling us to humble ourselves and to seek His face, renouncing our own sinful behaviors.
“We need to be models of the hope and mercy that the Scriptures tell us never run out. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the fruit that comes through a relationship with God when people become radically honest about the things that hold their hearts prisoner.”
John Freeman—what could be a more fitting name for someone who has devoted much of his life to helping those in sexual bondage discover how they can become freed men and women, through the transforming power of Christ?
Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a ministry to business and professional leaders, based in Atlanta, Ga. He is the author of Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace (River City Press) and co-author of The Heart of Mentoring with David A. Stoddard (NavPress).
About Harvest USA
Harvest USA, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., was established in 1983. Originally designed as an outreach to the homosexual community, today it has expanded into a ministry focused on equipping the church to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to those affected by or struggling with sexual brokenness in all of its forms.
It currently has offices in Philadelphia, Pa., and Chattanooga, Tenn., with a third office planned for Pittsburgh, Pa. For more information about training and other resources available through Harvest USA, call (215) 482-0111, email info@harvestusa.org, or visit www.harvestusa.org.
Readers may contact John Freeman directly at his confidential email address, john@harvestusa.org.
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Reina Howard
Savoy, Texas
Reina Howard