XXXchurch has a new owner with a renewed vision and message for church leaders. XXXchurch is a Christian ministry that has helped thousands of people battle pornography addiction by providing online resources, support, and community.
Former porn addict and ordained pastor Carl Thomas acquired XXXchurch after reaching out to founder Craig Gross. Thomas is also a Nationally Certified Neuro Health Coach.
Thomas was once a seven year employee for the XXXchurch organization and he left to create Life Free Ministries. Thomas who gives credit to XXXchurch for aiding in helping him break the chains of pornography said he felt a “weird nagging feeling” to ask if Gross wanted to release it.
Founder Craig Gross retired from XXXchurch in July 2019 after 17 years to build his new endeavor ChristianCannabis.com. At that time, Gross announced that pastor Rich De La Mora and his wife Brittni De La Mora (a former porn star who had found Jesus and left the industry) would be taking over as the leaders.
XXXchurch will fall under Thomas’ Live Free Ministries, a nonprofit that focuses on bridging “the gap between millions of men who want help but lack the safe and supportive community needed to find real freedom.” Live Free Ministries also launched Live Free Wives which is a support community for spouses who need help as well.
Thomas gave insight into XXXchurch’s new mission of changing culture, saying that although the XXXchurch had done a lot of work to combat porn addiction the reality is “things aren’t getting much better.” Pornography consumption and addiction rates continue to climb year after year, so Thomas asked, “Why? Why aren’t we making better progress?”
We still live in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” culture when it comes to pornography, masturbation, and other sexual integrity matters.
“The truth is,” Thomas said, “many of us still want to treat these things with kid-gloves and not touch them with a 10-foot pole.” Thomas gave the example of the old Christian cliché of leaving them in a dark corner hoping they will just go away.
Thomas instructed that nothing would change “until we start tackling these topics out in the open, until we feel the freedom to talk about this stuff….to discuss these things and share our personal struggles in an open setting without shame, without judgement, without anyone looking down on us.” The former porn addict said, “People are going to continue to stay stuck in their addictive ways because they are fearful about being found out. Fearful of losing what they have, and in my opinion that’s just messed up…I’m tired of seeing it, and I’ve witnessed it way too long. So we need to change the game.”
Thomas asked those listening to “join us in our mission to shift culture so talking about issues like porn, masturbation, and sexual integrity are welcomed and not avoided. Embraced and not shunned. Heard without judging.”