Sam Allberrys Fall Should Wake the Church Up: Same Sex Attraction Was Never a Christian Identity

Elizabeth Woning of CHANGED Movement Says Allberry's Failure Reveals the Theological Trap of Affirming LGBT Identity in the Church

The high profile fall of pastor and author Sam Allberry has sparked a sharp theological warning from Elizabeth Woning, co founder of the CHANGED Movement, who argues the Church must finally confront the trap of affirming "same sex attracted Christian" as a fixed identity rather than addressing it as a wound that can be healed.

Woning's article, published on 9 May 2026, frames the moment as a long overdue reckoning for evangelical leaders who built ministries around the premise that gay identity should be honoured rather than redeemed.

Why the Church Must Reject LGBT Identity in Light of Sam Allberry's Fall

Citing the 1970s reshaping of psychiatric categories, Woning quotes psychiatrist Charles W. Socarides MD: "Those of us who did not go along with the political redefinition were soon silenced at our own professional meetings." She argues the same activist pressure has now infiltrated evangelical institutions, locking believers into identity categories that obscure underlying spiritual and emotional realities.

"The LGBT population is at risk for mental illness, and the medical establishment currently fails to link SSA to emotional distress," Woning writes. She calls for biblical anthropology, Christian counselling, and the willingness to address root wounds rather than affirming a politically constructed identity. The fall of a celebrated leader who built a public ministry around the affirmed identity model, Woning concludes, must finally provoke a serious rethink.

The Crusader's Opinion

For a decade evangelical institutions have been told that affirming "gay Christian" identity was the compassionate middle ground. It was always a Trojan horse. Compassion never demands that the Church baptise an identity that Scripture treats as a struggle, not a status. Woning is right. Allberry's fall is a tragedy and a warning. The Body of Christ must love every brother and sister wrestling with same sex attraction, and refuse to affirm them in a label that ultimately masks a deeper need for Christ. Compassion without truth is sentimentality.

Take Action

• Donate: CHANGED Movement, supporting those leaving LGBT identity
• Read: Christopher Yuan's "Holy Sexuality and the Gospel"
• Pray: For Sam Allberry's restoration and for Christian leaders facing similar struggles
• Discuss: Biblical sexuality with your pastor, small group, or family
• Share: Woning's article and encourage compassionate clarity in the Church