All week, people have been talking about the video of a young man standing at the altar in church, saying that he was delivered from homosexuality.
Although he credits God for being delivered from homosexuality, Andrew Caldwell has been catching flack from those who feel his conversion is nothing more than an elaborate scam.
The doubts come amid the release of a video this week that captured Caldwell’s deliverance at the Church of God In Christ’s (COGIC) 107th annual convocation, which was held last week. In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Caldwell detailed what led him to the altar as well as how he’s dealing with the attention generated from the viral video.
“My name is Andrew Caldwell. I appeared on a video at the recent Church of God In Christ International Convocation in St Louis. On that video I gave a testimony of deliverance from homosexuality. As a child, I was raped by a member of my own family. At that time I did not think of it as abuse. I kind of enjoyed it. I kept it to myself, not realizing how it had changed me,” said Caldwell. “Growing up wasn’t a pleasant experience. I was harassed, heckled, and ridiculed by classmates. Many told me that I would never amount to anything. This gave me the motivation to try to prove them wrong. Being fairly attractive as a young man, it was not difficult for me to get involved with other men. I have dated athletes, ministers, and celebrities. As time passed I got tired of this way of living. I always attended church. But I always found the same things in church that I found in the world. After joining my present church, it came to me that this lifestyle was not right. It seemed that the more I tried to quit on my own, the more intense was the temptation. All last week I fasted and prayed. On this past Saturday at the Convocation, there was an alter[sic] call. I came forward and offered my testimony. It was unscripted. Not only do I hope for my own deliverance but for the deliverance of others who may be struggling with their own issues. To my doubting detractors, I pray for you. To my supporters, I am grateful for your support and prayers.”
Caldwell video has even sparked many memes and video remixes all across the internet.
