Ex-gay Stephen Bennett, now working as a realtor, no longer has a website for “Stephen Bennett Ministries.” Links that once led to sites associated with him, such as www.sbministries.org, now lead to dead ends. The cache of SBministries.org has a link that leads to an iGroops page called “The Parents Group,” but no mention of Bennett is made on that page. Bennett used to have an iGroops page but that too seems to be down – here is a screenshot of the cached link.
Over the past few months Bennett has been very actively begging for donations, and attempting to stave off musings of the possibility that he was leaving his ministry:
Let’s Put An End To “Rumours”…
Several homosexual activists are claiming “victory!” that “Stephen Bennett is no longer in ministry” and that “SBM has finally closed!!”WRONG. DEAD WRONG.Friends, Stephen Bennett IS NOT out of ministry — nor am I going ANYWHERE. SBM is experiencing one of the most financially difficult times we have ever had — and these ministry doors have not closed yet. I DO NEED YOUR HELP TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING.. SEE BELOW.
However, NO — Stephen Bennett isn’t going ANYWHERE!!
For now, however, Stephen Bennett Ministries has no online presence.
Oh, man, a realtor? In this market? Well, I do wish him luck with that. I’m glad he’s doing something meaningful with his life.
Realtor? The only way he’ll make money is if he sells to gay and lesbian couples who want to buy out on the Cape.
He’s offering a free $250 Visa gift card to new clients. Is that unusual?
Pity…websites are so cheap?
A number of Coldwell Banker agents are offering small Visa gift cards, or sweepstakes to win such cards, in order to attract business in various markets.
http://www.google.com/search?q=“coldwell+banker”+”visa+gift+card”
The real estate market up here in New England is great for buyers.
I can tell you that Steve is still in ministry, I know because I give him money every month to support what he does. 🙂
Stacy, do you have any evidence of just what that might be?
Perhaps Stacy can send me money every month to support what I do…whatever that is this month. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
I’m guessing that whatever she is sending isn’t quite enough?
Stacy, can you send me money for
tickets to the autumn Talladega racewhat I do for my ministry, too? I’d appreciate it so much!Yes, Steve and Irene are still running a very active ministry, specifically within the Igroops page that was mentioned in the post, under The Parent’s Group. The group is private, and yes, active.
🙂 I know, it’s probably a bummer for you guys, but it’s the truth.
So in other words, we should take your word for that? Not a likely scenario.
Your attitude is rather one-dimensional, Stacy. The only comment I see here that relates to his new job is “Well, I do wish him luck with that. I’m glad he’s doing something meaningful with his life.” Another mentions the excusable dismay over his becoming a realtor in the worst market in decades.
My personal opinion, and perhaps this will give you some satisfaction, are that both Stephen (and his family) are much better of with him taking a real job instead of begging for money from a precious few so he can run around yelling that he’s not gay anymore. In all these years, I’ve not seen one bit of evidence that he was anything but a classic snake-oil salesman (and I don’t often say that). But if he can finally move past that and develop a genuine career, more power to him.
Stephen was never very effective because it was so painfully clear that his ex-gay gig was just a means to an end, just like his sign company, his sketches with the deceptive movie star signatures, and who knows what else he has done from home to make a buck. There are true believers out there and some of them actually seem to mean well, but Stephen just doesn’t rise to that level.
I’d rather see Stephen stay in ministry. No one is better at demonstrating the fradulency of ex-gay ministries.
Keep on keeping on, Stephen!
Similarly, few people discredit partisan know-nothing populism better than Stacy Harp.
Cheers to Stacy.
Obviously Stephen’s being less than truthful. Finances aren’t a reason to remove a website: You can manange a site for $30 a year easily. Or, $0 if you’re desperate.
Stacy, since ALL of his web sites are down, including the Parents Group and ALL of his igroops pages, perhaps you should ask for a refund. He’s clearly doing nothing with the mony you’re sending him except paying his own bills.
His entire online presence is gone, aside from his real estate page, a donation page associated with the old sbministries.org page, and his old blog, which he hasn’t updated since April.
(www.stephenbennett.com/appiesnet/wordpress)
Let’s hope he’s done spreading fear and hostility under the guise of God’s love.
Unless I’m mistaken, iGroops is owned by Stephen’s brother, Bo, whose gift for self-promotion is not unlike Stephen’s.
My impression in the past was that Bo’s company had emerged as the sole host of the SBMinistries websites.
In that context, the withdrawal of Bennett’s sites suggests either a conscious choice — hey, Bo, I need you to de-activate my sites — or, a shift in the relationship — hey, Stephen, it’s time for you to make other arrangements.
Regardless, parallels between Stephen’s public life and those of people living with adult ADD strike me as significant. To his credit, this is a guy who has written, composed, envisioned, performed, promoted, created, and spoken, connecting with people on all sorts of levels. Like many adults living with ADD, though, his primary focus has been prone to seismic shifts every 6-12 weeks.
As a note, there is no mention of homosexuality or ex-gay or even gay on Stephen Bennett’s Parents Group page. It seems to be directed at supporting parents of children who have issues with alcohol, drugs and mental health issues not homosexuality.
So he has a ministry and it doesn’t appear to be an “ex-gay” ministry any longer.
The page is here: http://www.igroops.com/igroops/theparentsgroup