All of the subjects share very similar stories about their struggle with same-sex attraction at a young age and then told that God could never love them because they were gay or lesbian. But, Paulk, Thomas, and Schneider found that through Christ, they could turn away from their abhorrent lifestyle and live “normal” lives. They lived “happy” lives for years, and each became staunch advocates and defenders of conversion therapy. It all worked… until it didn’t. It’s here that director Stolakis details the events that ultimately lead to the dissolution of Exodus International in 2013.
Pray Away bookends the film with Jeffrey McCall, a former transgender person and the founder of the Freedom March. McCall is a Charismatic street evangelist, and we follow McCall as he runs into random strangers and offers to pray for them and give his testimony. He’s not engaged in any formal “conversion therapy,” but his story still shows that the church continues to struggle with the question of can God “cure” homosexuality.
“…genuine and heartfelt…”
I understand the church has had a significant PR problem over the last twenty years. What I appreciate about Pray Away is that it’s not a hit piece against the Evangelical church. Stolakis presents the facts in a studied but engaging manner. The testimonies from her subjects are genuine and heartfelt, especially as they continue to struggle with their faith in light of what is seen as God’s “failings” in their lives. While the documentary is not balanced and (wisely) doesn’t interview any prominent Evangelicals on the anti-gay side, the movie is fair in its portrayal of the church. Lord knows, there have been worse and more abusive “conversion” tactics that I know of that are downright criminal.
Pray Away is an essential film for my fellow Evangelicals, who need to see the gay Christian issue from a different perspective that we’ve been resistant to see from the beginning. Particularly the ones to still believe in “loving your neighbor,” that we are all still “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and understand what the word “unconditional” means. Sermon over.
Pray Away screened at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival.
"…an essential film for my fellow Evangelicals..."
