My Personal Blog
I think lots of things. Some are crazy, some are sane, others are just my opinions. Enjoy.
Reflection on Conversion Therapy – Former Leaders
At the request of Wendy VanderWall Gritter for submission to a church denomination, these former ExGay ministry leaders wrote a statement about how they view conversion therapy after having participated in ExGay ministry for many years. Statements from Former Ex-Gay...
Boy Erased Will Release Nov. 2, 2018
As the new film Boy Erased is released to to the public on November 2, 2018, I'm being questioned about my role in the story of the film Some have asked if under the auspices of Love In Action people were actually treated the way that the film reflects. I've spent the...
To the Parents – I’m so sorry!
September 20, 2018 Written by John J. Smid Former Executive Director, Love In Action, Int'l. (20 years + 2 years leadership prior) Former Board Member, Exodus International (11 years) Nationwide spokesperson with the ExGay movement. The film, Boy Erased...
Prayers for…….
Ugh, I just googled "prayer" and began looking through the images. It's exasperating. The whole concept of “prayer” has always been challenging for me. I’ve never fully grasped the whys and wherefores of prayer. I’ve heard all of the reasoning one could ever hear and...
Boy Erased Becomes Movie – 2017
I'm happy to announce that Boy Erased will soon become a full feature film! A year ago a new book was released called “Boy Erased.” It’s a memoire written by Garrard Conley. The basic premise of the story stems from Garrard’s childhood being one where he was...
A Mom’s Heartbreaking Decision – Her son, or God?
Religion. For some it’s a resting place. For others it’s a structure to maintain security. For many, it’s a roller coaster of life experience. But for far too many, its bondage. The love this mom has for her son is evident. She has loved him for his entire lifetime...
Healing the Pain from ExGay Ministry – Another Story
13 years ago a young 19 year old man came into a program I was leading called “Love In Action.” He was bright, intelligent, and seemingly lost inside himself. He came with his mom as companion for our two week "non-residential" program with the intention of finding a...
Fear and Coercion in ExGay Ministry
This is the second post this week on homosexuality and youth. I’m outraged once again about the mixed messages of love and rejection that come from well meaning, but deeply misguided Christian homes. “I love you and want you to know that God loves you and wants the...
A Parent’s Rejecting Heart – Shocking!
I love to watch The Voice. Tonight, I was in tears, my heart was racing and I couldn't move on without some internal processing. Vocal music is a beautiful thing and on this show the coaches encourage the contestants to sing through their stories. On this episode, a...
Every time I hear about you or read something recent you wrote, I just want to cry
I received this message through the Grace Rivers Website. I wrote a response and prepared to send it off and it came back undeliverable. I'm supposing that the writer sent it using a false email address so as to not hear back from me. So, I decided to publish the...
Reflection on Conversion Therapy – Former Leaders
At the request of Wendy VanderWall Gritter for submission to a church denomination, these former ExGay ministry leaders wrote a statement about how they view conversion therapy after having participated in ExGay ministry for many years. Statements from Former Ex-Gay...
Boy Erased Will Release Nov. 2, 2018
As the new film Boy Erased is released to to the public on November 2, 2018, I'm being questioned about my role in the story of the film Some have asked if under the auspices of Love In Action people were actually treated the way that the film reflects. I've spent the...
To the Parents – I’m so sorry!
September 20, 2018 Written by John J. Smid Former Executive Director, Love In Action, Int'l. (20 years + 2 years leadership prior) Former Board Member, Exodus International (11 years) Nationwide spokesperson with the ExGay movement. The film, Boy Erased...
Prayers for…….
Ugh, I just googled "prayer" and began looking through the images. It's exasperating. The whole concept of “prayer” has always been challenging for me. I’ve never fully grasped the whys and wherefores of prayer. I’ve heard all of the reasoning one could ever hear and...
Boy Erased Becomes Movie – 2017
I'm happy to announce that Boy Erased will soon become a full feature film! A year ago a new book was released called “Boy Erased.” It’s a memoire written by Garrard Conley. The basic premise of the story stems from Garrard’s childhood being one where he was...
A Mom’s Heartbreaking Decision – Her son, or God?
Religion. For some it’s a resting place. For others it’s a structure to maintain security. For many, it’s a roller coaster of life experience. But for far too many, its bondage. The love this mom has for her son is evident. She has loved him for his entire lifetime...
Healing the Pain from ExGay Ministry – Another Story
13 years ago a young 19 year old man came into a program I was leading called “Love In Action.” He was bright, intelligent, and seemingly lost inside himself. He came with his mom as companion for our two week "non-residential" program with the intention of finding a...
Fear and Coercion in ExGay Ministry
This is the second post this week on homosexuality and youth. I’m outraged once again about the mixed messages of love and rejection that come from well meaning, but deeply misguided Christian homes. “I love you and want you to know that God loves you and wants the...
A Parent’s Rejecting Heart – Shocking!
I love to watch The Voice. Tonight, I was in tears, my heart was racing and I couldn't move on without some internal processing. Vocal music is a beautiful thing and on this show the coaches encourage the contestants to sing through their stories. On this episode, a...
Every time I hear about you or read something recent you wrote, I just want to cry
I received this message through the Grace Rivers Website. I wrote a response and prepared to send it off and it came back undeliverable. I'm supposing that the writer sent it using a false email address so as to not hear back from me. So, I decided to publish the...
