‘Just more hidden’: Christian ministry embroiled in LGBT scandal makes serious decision

A longtime Christian ministry that sparked a large negative reaction when it adopted an outside organization’s LGBT “training” scheme for its staff members only two years ago has decided to drop that programming, instead setting up its own advice for workers dealing with LGBT-identifying individuals.

It is Cru, formerly Campus Crusade for Christ, which was involved in a scandal for adopting the use of curriculum from Compassionate and Faithful, a product that relies heavily on podcaster Preston Sprinkle.

Sprinkle has chosen to follow several beliefs that are controversial for Christian organizations, including supporting “pronoun hospitality” and “teachings that same-sex attraction is not sinful unless acted upon,” according to a report from World.

The report noted Keith Johnson, who is the group’s chief of theological education and development, confirmed to staff during a meeting leaked on a podcast that the plan is to integrate “our LGBT+ equipping into existing developmental venues.”

He said, “Going forward, we think it’s increasingly important for us to speak in our own theological voice,” so the use of “external communicators” will be reduced.

The organization was criticized for his decision two years ago to move into the outside curriculum when both current and former staff members, as well as prominent evangelical authors and speakers including Rosaria Butterfield, Christopher Yuan and Allie Beth Stuckey, objected.

The charge was that the lessons fell short of biblical teachings including standards for sexuality, gender and God’s design for men and women.

Cru simply declined to respond to concerns, and, in fact fired employees who raised concerns outside of channels the company allowed.

The details come from a meeting recording that was released Oct. 2 on author Jon Harris’ podcast.

Johnson told World the Compassionate and Faithful materials were used to provide clarity, but, World confirmed, “For some staff, the ministry’s mandatory rollout of the curriculum did the opposite.”

The report cited longtime staff members Uriah and Marissa Mundell, who were fired for objecting to the teachings.

Johnson said, “What divides us from many of our critics at the end of the day, isn’t our view of sexuality and gender. It’s our vision for cultural engagement.”

Harris pointed out, however, there remain many questions about the direction being adopted.

“For Cru staff who are entering … what’s that going to look like? Is it going to be the same kind of teaching … it’s just more hidden?”

The World report itself noted Cru has “criticized the Mundells for being public, yet Cru is a public ministry supported by donors. Cru leadership has chosen, and is choosing, to be evasive and not disclose what is happening while expecting us to donate money.”