Mel White
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James Melville White (born 1940) is a gay American clergyman and author. White was a behind-the-scenes member of the Evangelical Protestant movement during the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, writing speeches and ghostwriting books for televangelists such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Billy Graham. After years of writing for the religious right, he came out of the closet, announcing his homosexuality in 1994.^[1] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... see also Holy Orders The following terms have traditional meanings for the Anglican Church, and possibly beyond: A churchman is in principle a member of a church congregation, in practice someone in holy orders. ... The word evangelicalism usually refers to a broad collection of religious beliefs, practices, and traditions which are found among conservative Protestant Christians. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... This article is about a ghostwriter, the type of writer. ... In the USA, a televangelist (television evangelist) is a religious minister (often a Christian priest or minister) who devotes a large portion of his (or her) ministry to TV broadcasts to a regular viewing and listening audience. ... Jerry Falwell (born August 11, 1933) is a fundamentalist pastor and televangelist from the United States. ... Marion Gordon Pat Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is a televangelist from the United States. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Biography

In 1962, White graduated from Warner Pacific College. That same year, White married his wife Lyla. They had two children, one of whom is the comedian, actor, and screenwriter Mike White. After their marriage, Mel White admitted to his wife that he had always been attracted to men. He embarked on a long process of attempted "cures" for his homosexuality, including psychotherapy, prayer, Electroconvulsive therapy, and exorcism. None of these techniques changed his homosexuality, and after he attempted suicide, he and Lyla agreed to an amicable divorce. Warner Pacific College is an urban residential and commuter Christian liberal arts college located in Southeast Portland, Oregon. ... Michael Christopher White (born June 28, 1970) is an American writer, actor, director, and producer for television and film. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... // Psychotherapy is a range of techniques based on dialogue, communication and behavior change and which are designed to improve the mental health of a client or patient, or to improve group relationships (such as in a family). ... Mary Magdalene in prayer. ... Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are induced by passing electricity through the brain of an anaesthetised patient. ... Saint Francis exorcised demons in Arezzo, fresco of Giotto Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person or place of which they have possessed (taken control of). ... Suicide (Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of intentionally taking ones own life. ... For the record label, see Divorce Records. ...

In 1984, White began dating Gary Nixon. As of 2007, they are still together, both as a couple and as the leaders of a gay rights organization called Soulforce. They currently reside in Lynchburg, Virginia. 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... Soulforce may mean: the English translation of the philosophy of non-violent resistance, Satyagraha. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ...

In 1994, White wrote his autobiography, Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay And Christian In America, which detailed his former career in the Religious Right and his struggle coming to terms with being gay. His former wife wrote the foreword to this book - indicative of the good relations between them. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In 1997, White was awarded the ACLU's National Civil Liberties Award for his efforts to apply the "soul force" principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. to the struggle for justice for sexual minorities. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is a non_governmental organization devoted to defending civil rights and civil liberties in the United States. ... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Gujarati: , Hindi: , IAST: mohandās karamcand gāndhī, IPA: ) (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948), was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. ... Martin Luther King, Jr. ...

After receiving his masters degree in communications from the University of Portland, White did graduate work in communications and film at University of Southern California, UCLA, and Harvard. He received his doctorate in religious studies from, and was a professor for over a decade at, Fuller Theological Seminary. During this time he also worked as an evangelical pastor. After coming out, White transferred his clergy credentials to the gay-affirming Metropolitan Community Church. The University of Portland (UP) is a private Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. ... The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly as Southern Cal),[4] located in the University Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, USA, was founded in 1880, making it Californias oldest private research university. ... Binomial name Ucla xenogrammus Holleman, 1993 The largemouth triplefin, Ucla xenogrammus, is a fish of the family Tripterygiidae and only member of the genus Ucla, found in the Pacific Ocean from Viet Nam, the Philippines, Palau and the Caroline Islands to Papua New Guinea, Australia (including Christmas Island), and the... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ... Fuller Theological Seminary, located in Pasadena, California, is the largest multi denominational seminary in the world. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. ... Logo of the Metropolitan Community Churches The Metropolitan Community Church (in full, The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches or UFMCC, or more commonly MCC) is an international fellowship of Christian congregations. ...

He produced, wrote, and directed 53 documentary films and television specials on spirituality. He is also an author; among his 16 books (nine bestsellers), he wrote about the Philippines' Ninoy and Corazon Aquino (Aquino), the Jonestown tragedy (Deceived), David Rothenberg, a child burned by his father (David), Lust the Other Side of Love, and talk-show host/producer Mike Douglas (When the Going Gets Tough.) Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. ... Houses in Jonestown Jonestown was the communal settlement made in northwestern Guyana by the Peoples Temple, a cult from California. ...

Writings

In addition, he ghost-wrote several books for fellow evangelicals, including Billy Graham (Approaching Hoofbeats), Pat Robertson (America's Date with Destiny), and Jerry Falwell (Strength for the Journey and If I Should Die Before I Wake). In all those writings, however, he never wrote against homosexuality. White began coming out privately and gradually during the same period that the Religious Right stepped up its anti-gay rhetoric. Since 1993, he has devoted himself full-time to minister to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people, working on their behalf in the media, in the political process, and with fellow religious leaders. Coming out of the closet (very often shortened to coming out in winking reference to the public introduction of debutantes) describes the voluntary public announcement of ones (often homosexual or bisexual) sexual orientation or gender identity. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... A lesbian is a woman who is romantically and sexually attracted only to other women. ... In human sexuality, bisexuality describes a man or woman having a sexual orientation to persons of either or both sexes (a man or woman who sexually likes both sexes; people who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to both males and females). ... Transgender (IPA: , from trans (Latin) and gender (English) ) is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies that diverge from the normative gender role (woman or man) commonly, but not always, assigned at birth, as well as the role traditionally held by society. ...

Books under his own name

White, Mel (April 1995). Stranger at the Gate. Penguin Group (USA), 325. ISBN 0-452-27381-1. 

White, Mel (September 2006). Religion Gone Bad. Penguin Group (USA), 384. ISBN 1-58542-531-1. 

References

1. ^ Steve Inskeep. Religion, Politics a Potent Mix for Jerry Falwell NPR June 30, 2006

External links

• Mel White's GLBT organization
• Interview with Rev. Candace Chellew, Whosoever.org