Anthony Venn-Brown may have once been a preacher with the Assemblies of God Church – one of the most homophobic in Australia – but that’s far behind him now. Today, he speaks with a calm resolve. It is testament to the skill this man has for communicating with church leaders in Australia to bring about a quantum shift in attitude. It is also this resolute and composed approach to bringing about change in religious circles that has earned him, he believes, this nomination.

Venn-Brown resigned as a minister in 1991 after coming out. In 2004 he published his autobiography, ‘A Life of Unlearning: A Journey To Find The Truth’. It detailed his struggle to reconcile his homosexuality with his Christian beliefs and won the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association Literary award in 2004. The book was revised and updated in 2007.

“I’ve been able to give a voice to so many people.” Venn-Brown enthuses when asked why he has been nominated without a hint of conceit. “Through telling my story, I’ve really influenced people, and in some cases allowed them to be freed of the debilitating self-loathing that drives people to self harm.”

Meeting church leaders is something Venn-Brown does behind closed doors and without any recognition, as he goes through the time consuming process of educating the church leadership about sexual orientation. “It takes anywhere from six to ten months of regular contact before individuals come to an understanding and are prepared to take action.”

In the meantime, Venn-Brown continues to take action every day with his charity Freedom 2 Be. Historically Pentecostal and Charismatic churches have maintained the outdated belief that homosexuality is a sin, a choice or the result of a dysfunctional upbringing. Freedom 2 Be was established to give people in the church a forum to discover that they are not alone and begin the journey of repair that allows them to live authentically and continue, if they choose, to have faith.

While Venn-Brown continues to practise as a Life Coach, he would dearly love to find a benefactor who could support him to carry on his work full time. “There are so many people in need out there and we risk losing them unnecessarily. If I could devote all my time and energy to this work, I believe we would see some massive change.”

By James Forbes