By Matthew J. Elliott
Photo by Jay Matthews
My birth mother was a self-proclaimed ‘white witch’ who gave me up for adoption when I was born. Her only request was that I would not be placed with a Christian family. The courts didn’t listen and when I was five years old my adopted family started attending church with me in a serious way. When I was 13 I was baptized in the Holy Spirit at Christian camp in the hills of Victoria, Australia, and started speaking in tongues. During my teens I drifted in and out of the church, frequently rebelling against my parents, but by the age of 17 I decided to become serious about my relationship with God. Once I graduated from high school I went into Bible College with two other Christian friends and studied Youth Ministry. Apart from some childhood sexual experiences with other boys and one drunken experience in year eight with another guy from school, I considered myself a straight Christian with the call of God on my life – but because the call of God was so great, it was the devil that would try to attack me with homosexual desires.
Thanks for the Butt interview, MJE, it's a privilege for us that you've shared your story. Inspirational. And you're a handsome man. And talented - great photographs! I live around the corner from your work - perhaps see you around! lol ;-)
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