Huge news from Memphis, which has long been the regrettable home of one of Exodus International’s flagship models, Love In Action. The residential program, which abused so many people for so many years, is no more:
Love In Action’s Residential program has been suspended indefinitely. Simply put, there is a significant need to bring all of LIA under one location for it to be more cost effective. We continue to counsel and grow through our 4-Day Intensives, Hourly Counseling, Conferences, Support Groups, and Church Assistance Program.
When Wayne spoke in Memphis, we visited the former headquarters of LIA’s counseling business, and LIA survivors with us visited the home where they lived while in the program, only to find it on the market. I had heard rumblings that the program was coming to an end, but the confirmation is great news.
It’s, of course, too much to ask that they might be doing this because they recognize how many lives they have destroyed over the years, as they still have a referral link for other “biblically based” residential programs.
Peterson sees something to be hopeful about here:
I am thrilled that the sun has finally set on this part of the program–one that housed and harassed many of us these past 30 years. While they will continue to offer some limited services, it appears that they have begun to dismantle operations.
That would be a good thing, both for Memphis and for the rest of the country. Any time one of these programs is shut down, it means that untold numbers of potential victims could escape the psychological and spiritual abuse they dole out in exchange for people’s hard earned money.
So this is good news! But there are still many more of these programs out there, though, so we’ll be around, fightin’ the good fight.
