Frank Worthen

Frank Worthen, a pioneer in Christian approaches to homosexuality passed away February 11.

Born in 1929 and raised in San Jose, CA, Worthen entered the Northern California business community in 1965 as owner of the Black Market Import store from 1965 through the mid-1970’s.

His boyhood years were spent committed to a local church, and he was later active in the Bay Area’s gay community. Frank later experienced a crisis of faith in the early 1970’s in which he described hearing God say “I want you back.”

He then desired to reach out to people experiencing what he’d experienced, yet resources for such people were non-existent in the early 1970’s. At the urging of his pastor, Frank developed a series of tape cassettes featuring his testimony, then placed an ad in the Berkeley Barb newspaper advertising the formation of a support group.

Sixty men responded, and the work of assisting such men would hence become Frank’s calling and passion. In 1974 he founded Love in Action, considered one of the premiere organizations in the field, and was formative in the conception of Exodus International, where he served as a board member for several years. He also co-authored The Third Sex? Subsequent books by Worthen would include Steps out of Homosexuality (1984), Helping People Step Out of Homosexuality (1991), Craving for Love (1993) and his auto-biographical Destiny Bridge (2010).

In 1990 he expanded his work to the Philippines, where he served full time until 1994, and continued speaking, writing, and mentoring the many women and men who wanted to follow his ministry courses for decades.

He and his wife Anita married ten years after Frank’s ministry efforts began, partnering in projects and ministry efforts.

Worthen was known as a highly social man who enjoyed entertaining and had a love for street cars, frequently riding, studying and photographing them.

“Surrender” was a theme of his approach to ministry, and he was known to frequently quote 1 Peter 5:10: “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

He is survived by his wife Anita and stepson Tony Lovette.