XXXchurch.com is a non-profit
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
website that aims to help those who struggle with
pornography
Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults, . It ministers to
porn industry
The sex industry (also called the sex trade) consists of businesses that either directly or indirectly provide sex-related products and services or adult entertainment. The industry includes activities involving direct provision of sex-related ...
performers and consumers. The organization describes itself as a "Christian porn site designed to bring awareness, openness and accountability to those affected by pornography."
[ Florida Gulf Coast University.]
Organizational history
The organization launched in January 2002 when the founders, Mike Foster and Craig Gross, set up a booth inside the
AVN Adult Entertainment Expo
AVN may refer to:
Medicine
* Atrioventricular node, special region of conducting tissue in the heart
* Avascular necrosis, medical condition
Transport
* Air Vanuatu, by ICAO airline code
* Avonmouth railway station, UK, by National Rail code
Com ...
in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...
to promote the
website
A website (also written as a web site) is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Examples of notable websites are Google, Facebook, Amazon, and W ...
as an alternative to porn, and it continues to attend porn conventions worldwide.
The group has given out thousands of
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...
s with "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" on the cover at these conventions, a facet of their ministry which has been featured in American national media.
The organization has received support from prominent
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
pastors such as
Bill Hybels
William Hybels (born December 12, 1951) is an American church figure and author. He is the founding and former senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, one of the most attended churches in North America, wit ...
,
Craig Groeschel
Craig Groeschel (born December 2, 1967) is the founder and senior pastor of Life.Church, an American evangelical multi-site church with locations in 12 U.S. states.
Early life and education
Groeschel grew up in southern Oklahoma, attending Ardm ...
and
Rick Warren
Richard Duane Warren (born January 28, 1954) is an American Southern Baptist evangelical Christian pastor and author. He is the founder of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention in Lake Fo ...
.
Pornographic film director James DiGiorgio took photographs for XXXchurch and lost business as a result of becoming affiliated with the organization. DiGiorgio was not a Christian, but said that he was helping XXXchurch because the sex industry is "always trying to preach freedom of speech
oanyone in this industry who has a problem with
XXchurch'smessage is a fucking hypocrite. You can't have it both ways."
Mike Foster left the organization in 2004.
In 2005, the independent film ''
Missionary Positions'' was released, produced and directed by
Bill Day, which documented the origins of XXXchurch.
In March 2021, XXXchurch was acquired by Live Free Ministries. Live Free Ministries founder, Carl Thomas was once employed by the
501(c)(3) organization
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of ...
Fireproof Ministries and left to start his own nonprofit.
Programs
Porn debates
Craig Gross, a cofounder of XXXchurch.com, regularly debated with porn star
Ron Jeremy
Ronald Jeremy Hyatt (born March 12, 1953) is an American former pornographic actor.
Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", Jeremy was ranked by AVN at No. 1 in their "50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list. Jeremy has also made a number of non-pornographic m ...
in an event called "The Porn Debate"
on college campuses across the United States. In 2008, the debate was featured on ABC News' ''
Nightline
''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News' late-night television news program broadcast on ABC in the United States with a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. Created by Roone Arledge, the prog ...
'' both on air and online, with the segment becoming the most watched in ''Nightlines online viewing history.
X3watch software
XXXchurch.com produces
accountability software
Accountability software, or shameware, is a type of surveillance software that records the user's Internet activity and reports it to an authority figure, such as a parent, teacher, spouse or religious leader, sometimes called an accountability ...
(specialized web-surfing monitoring software) called X3watch. The software maintains a log of questionable websites that a user accesses based on content type, and then sends a report to an "
accountability partner
An accountability partner is someone who supports another person to keep a commitment or maintain progress on a desired goal. They will often be a trusted friend or acquaintance who will regularly ask an individual about their progress or receive ...
" of the person's choosing. Such software can be useful for individuals trying to avoid pornography use.
Podcast and radio
In 2008, the organization launched a video podcast that documents the current campaigns of XXXchurch, which is released every two weeks on XXXchurch.tv and
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
. It also has several radio public service announcements airing across the US and abroad on various radio stations and syndicated programs such as
RadioU,
Refuge Radio
WJRF (89.5 FM) is a radio station in Duluth, Minnesota. The station currently simulcasts Contemporary Christian KDNW. Historically, it was its own station and the centerpiece of a regional Christian network prior to its donation to Northwestern ...
,
Malone University
Malone University is a private Christian university in Canton, Ohio. It was founded in 1892 by Walter and Emma Malone as a small, co-educational Bible institute called Cleveland Bible College. The institution has always maintained a close rela ...
Radio,
The Full Armor of God Broadcast and
Fuel Radio.
See also
*
Anti-pornography movement in the United States
An anti-pornography movement in the United States has existed since before the 1969 Supreme Court decision of '' Stanley v. Georgia'', which held that people could view whatever they wished in the privacy of their own homes, by establishing an impl ...
*
Stop Porn Culture
Stop Porn Culture is an international feminist anti-porn organization with branches in the United States, Norway, and the United Kingdom. It works as an advisory body, trains trainers, and builds public health educational materials based on empir ...
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
Fireproof Ministries
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:XXXchurch.com
Christian websites
Religious organizations established in 2001
Sexuality in Christianity
Anti-pornography movements
Internet properties established in 2001