A faith-based group releasing new book Oct. 7 says ‘culture of silence, isolation’ in churches keeps men, women trapped in sexual addiction – but there is hope.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A majority of Christians feel okay about viewing pornography, according to a new book.
“Our surveys show that only 20% of Christians with a history of porn use wish they didn’t use it at all, and half say they are comfortable with what they do,” says Nick Stumbo, executive director of Pure Desire Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit that tackles porn and sexual addiction.
But Stumbo sees the devastating impact of porn and sex addiction every day, including the men, women and families in America’s churches.
He’s made it his mission to set them free.
More than a decade ago, Stumbo — a third-generation pastor — experienced himself what he describes as “life-changing hope and healing” from his own sex addiction. Surveys show that two-thirds of pastors have struggled with porn.
“A redemption story is the best kind of story, but it only happens after a kind of death occurs,” says Stumbo, co-author of the Oct. 7 book release, Hope, Healing and Freedom. Watch the book trailer here.
He hopes his “redemptive” story and the innovative lessons in the book will help men and women “break free from pornography, sexual brokenness, and betrayal trauma.”
The book release coincides with a crackdown on “revenge porn” — the distribution of intimate images without the consent of the other person involved — and the Southern Baptist Convention calling for an outright ban on the creation and distribution of pornographic material that generates billions of dollars annually.
One in Six Women Struggle
It’s not only men who struggle with porn. One in six women also admits viewing explicit sexual content, according to Pure Desire, which uses “clinically-informed, biblically-based counseling and therapy.”
“Powerful chemicals in the brain (become) fused into our way of seeing the world sexually,” says co-author Ashley Jameson, Pure Desire’s director of programs and partnerships. Jameson, who once struggled with sexual addiction, leads the nonprofit’s outreach to women.
According to Stumbo and Jameson, a “pervasive culture of silence and isolation” in America’s churches has fueled a “push-pull cycle of shame and curiosity,” simply telling porn addicts to “try harder.”
They say openness and accountability within a healthy church community is the path to freedom from porn and sexual addiction.
“When we face the challenges of life with others, we no longer need the coping behaviors that drive our struggles,” they said.
Their model of “hope, healing and freedom” — utilizing certified sex addiction therapists and pastoral professionals — has gone global, helping thousands.
The ministry will hold its national summit in Gresham, Ore., September 19 and 20. Anyone wanting more information can go to www.puredesire.org.
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