There was no shortage of debate about sexuality in the context of the Presbyterian Church (USA) during the 219th General Assembly…

There was, however, a shortage of discussion about ministry in the contexts of those controversies. That reality is what inspired the Rev. William Campbell, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, N.C., to create a new resource.

Presbyterians got their first look at Campbell’s book Turning Controversy into Church Ministry: A Christ-Like Response to Homosexuality, due out this fall from Zondervan, during GA…

“Many want to do ministry but don’t have the resources,” he told guests at the luncheon, adding that decades of debate on homosexuality has been depressing. “If we had been doing ministry properly, we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in today.”

He also suggested “linking up” with ministries such as OneByOne and Exodus International, and commended Exodus’ curriculum for young people. Campbell explained to the group that the church could have a positive influence on how the larger culture frames the issue of same-sex attraction.

According to the synopsis of the book, “Contentious debate about homosexuality too often takes the place of actually caring for the needs of people who experience same-sex attraction.”