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Our Vision: A Homophobia-Free Church
Far too many Christian churches preach a homophobic gospel, to the severe detriment of all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Gay rights gain ground every year, but the underlying dynamic of significant religious opposition to them persists.
That is the dynamic that The Reformation Project intends to change once and for all. My name is Matthew Vines, and as I argued in detail in a speech that has now been seen half a million times, the Bible is not anti-gay. If you don’t believe me, then take an hour out of your day and watch the speech or read the transcript of it: www.matthewvines.com/transcript.
Since posting the speech online, I have heard from thousands of people, including hundreds of Christians who have changed their minds about homosexuality after watching it. That overwhelming response proves that sustained, educated engagement with Christians who currently oppose LGBT equality can produce transformative changes. That is why I am starting The Reformation Project—to train as many other Christians as possible, gay and straight, to reform their church communities through the preaching of the Bible.
How We'll Do It: The Reformation Project
From September 18-21, we will host a leadership training conference for 50 straight and LGBT Christians at Asbury United Methodist Church in Kansas City, KS. There, we will equip them with the tools and training they need to go back to their communities and make lasting changes to beliefs about LGBT people.
After we build our leadership training model with 50 reformers this year, we will start to expand aggressively. As soon as we raise the money to do so, we will open a headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. We will host more conferences, both in the U.S. and abroad. We will partner with churches and pastors to develop vocal and visible allies in as many churches as possible.
We will launch regional offices in places where LGBT people have the least support, and we will work to reform the churches there from within. Soon, gay kids in Jackson, Mississippi and Kingston, Jamaica won’t just have to hear on YouTube that it gets better—they will have the personal support of outspoken, influential Christian allies in their communities who can ensure that it does.
But—We Can Only Do It With Your Help!
None of this can happen for free, though. Our first conference this fall will cost around $67,500 (see chart below), as we will be covering all basic expenses for our group of 50 reformers: flights, hotels, meals, transportation, and study materials. Many people who could benefit tremendously from this conference do not have the $1,000+ it would take to attend on their own dime, so it is important that we make it equally accessible to everyone, no matter their financial situation.
If you donate, we will offer you great perks, like a free audio/video download of Matthew's speech about the Bible and homosexuality as well as this limited-edition Reformation Project t-shirt:
Other perks include shout outs on Facebook and Twitter, a signed group photo of all 50 reformers in Kansas City this September, and a personal thank you call from Matthew for your support.
If you donate $1,000 or more, Random House will send you an advance review copy of Matthew's book this fall—several months before anyone else will be able to read it! For the highest donation levels, Matthew will speak at your school, church, or group once his book is released, and he will even include your name in the acknowledgements section of his book. That way, your contribution will be widely remembered for many years to come.
The Reformation Project is a registered 501(c)(3) organization in the USA, so all donations are tax-deductible. Our EIN is 46-1012806.
Budget
September 2013 Conference
| Item | Item Cost | Amount | Total Cost |
| Hotel (4 nights) | $120 | 100 | $12,000 |
| Food - Catered Lunch (4) | $5 | 240 | $1,200 |
| Food - Dinners, Out (2) | $30 | 120 | $3,600 |
| Food - Dinners, Catered (2) | $15 | 120 | $1,800 |
| Transportation - During Conference | $275 | 4 | $1,100 |
| Transportation - Airfare | $400 | 55 | $22,000 |
| Learning Materials | $63 | 60 | $3,780 |
| A/V and General Technology | - | - | $800 |
| Conference Manager | - | - | $6,000 |
| Conference Staff Stipends | $1,000 | 5 | $5,000 |
| Speaker Fees | - | - | $5,000 |
| Photographers and Videographers | - | - | $5,000 |
| CONF. TOTAL | $67,480 |
Fundraising Fees
| Fundraising Total | $100,000 |
| Indiegogo Fees (3%) | -$3,000 |
| FirstGiving Processing Fees (4%) | -$4,000 |
| Adjusted Gross | $93,000 |
| Cost of Perks | -$3,000 |
| Funds Post-Fees (If Goal is Met) | $90,000 |
| Conference Expenses | -$67,480 |
| TOTAL ADMIN & POST-CONF. | $22,520 |
The $22,520 remaining will allow us to hire at least two part-time staff this year to begin laying the groundwork for our expansion going into 2014. Let's work to make the first big downpayment on eradicating homophobia from the body of Christ. Thank you for your support!
