Exodus0729Willow Creek Community Church has ended a decades-long partnership with Exodus International, the world’s largest ministry that addresses homosexuality in the church. The South Barrington, Ill., megachurch’s decision to split with the organization is one of a number of recent public separations from Christian organizations that promote a biblical perspective on same-sex relationships.

Though Willow Creek made the decision in 2009, it wasn’t made public until June.

Alan Chambers, president of Exodus, said he believes the separation occurred because Willow Creek gave in to pressure from gay activists. In recent years, Soulforce, whose mission is to persuade Christian organizations to accept homosexuality, had targeted Willow Creek.

“Willow Creek is a strong church,” Chambers pointed out, but he is nonetheless “deeply saddened to see that Willow Creek isn’t going to offer strong discipleship for people struggling with same-sex attractions.”

In a statement obtained by The Christian Post, Scott Vaudrey, Willow Creek’s director of pastoral care and leader of its elder response team, said, “It is true that Willow Creek discontinued its formal relationship with Exodus. In making this move, we were not making a social or political statement. We were simply in a season of reviewing and clarifying some of our affiliations with outside organizations.”

Exodus and Willow Creek’s relationship began in the late 1980s, with the megachurch being one of the first and largest churches to officially sign on with the organization. The relationship began as an informal partnership but became more formal when Willow Creek joined the Exodus Church Association.

Exodus helped Willow Creek leaders work with people experiencing same-sex attraction and would often refer people to Willow Creek’s ministries. Chambers spoke at the megachurch and attended several conferences there as well. He said that while the relationship had been positive, he believes Willow Creek eventually began to “rethink how they were being viewed.”

Other ministries have dropped Exodus as well, including New Direction, a Canadian ministry that chose to end its partnership with Exodus in 2009. A year earlier, two ministries that focus on issues of sexuality, Where Grace Abounds and Mastering Life Ministries, also split from Exodus. Representatives from Mastering Life said their decision was not over a doctrinal disagreement but was a private matter.

Exodus also recently lost its tax-exempt status in New Zealand.

In recent years, other organizations like Exodus that take a biblical position on sexuality have had a falling out with other groups that appeared to be like-minded. In Canada, the New Democratic Party petitioned the Canadian government to eliminate the charity status of all organizations that assist people battling same-sex attraction. The government has yet to rule on the matter. Also, TOMS Shoes chose to end a partnership it had formed with Focus on the Family in early July over Focus’ stance on homosexuality.

“It’s a disappointing trend within churches and Christian-owned ministries,” Chambers said. “[These ministries are] feeling the pressure to distance themselves from their Christian friends and are afraid to stand in the public market and say ‘this is what we believe.’ It’s a marker of things to come.”