LONNIE FRISBEE 1949 - 1993
A BRIEF HISTORY:
"Lonnie Frisbee (June 6, 1949 – March 12, 1993) was an American Pentecostal evangelist and self-described "seeing prophet" and mystic in the late 1960s and 1970s. Despite(
or because of) his hippie appearance and being a man who struggled with homosexuality, Frisbee had notable success as a minister and evangelist.
Contemporary accounts attributed his accomplishments to his incredible anointing of the Holy Spirit. Frisbee was a key figure in the Jesus Movement and eyewitness accounts of his ministry documented in the 2007 Emmy-nominated film Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher explain how Lonnie became the charismatic spark igniting the rise of two worldwide denominations (Chuck Smith's Calvary Chapel and the Vineyard Movement). It was said that he was not one of the hippie preachers, "there was one."
Frisbee, who functioned as an evangelical preacher also privately socialized as a gay man both before and during his evangelism career. This is held in tension with the fact that he said in interviews that he never believed homosexuality was anything other than a sin in the eyes of God and both denominations prohibited gay sexual behavior. Both churches later disowned him because of his active sexual life, removing him first from leadership positions, then ultimately, firing him . As part of his ostracism from his former churches his work was maligned but he forgave those who tried to discredit him before his death from AIDS in 1993."
MY PERSPECTIVE:
Lonnie Frisbee had a remarkable story - a story that evangelical Christianity has tried to ultimately forget & supress from its history books.
Lonnie was a Hippie, a former drug addict & an openly Gay man - but more importantly he was a radical deiciple of Jesus Christ & Minister of the Gospel.
His Ministry in the Jesus People Movement, Vineyard Movement & Calvary Chapel changed, impacted & transformed thousands of lives! His life & teachings are not something we can afford to just neglect or willingly be ignorant of.
I believe Lonnie Frisbee's life is a story which is intruiging, unique but also quite sad. Lonnie passed away from AIDS in 1993, he was aged 44. When he passed away he was abandoned by the Church, forgotten & his Ministry reputation had been discredited entirely when he 'outted' himself again - when he chose to be honest & upfront. Lonnie had already forgiven the people who he once was associated with in Ministry for the way they & the Church handled everything & for what they did to him in ignorance & haste by the time he passed away.
We can learn alot from Lonnie Frisbee & how God uses people despite our weakness & imperfections. God chose Lonnie for a mighty purpose that changed & shaped Church history.
As Gay Christians we can gleem alot of inspiration & influence off of Lonnie's Ministry & what God did through him.
His life is still a living Testimony of God's faithfulness, favour & desire to move through openly Gay Christians who will hear His voice & move in His Anointing.
Stir yourself up to believe God for more - MORE Grace, MORE Power, MORE Anointing, MORE Opportunities, & MORE of HIM!!
We will see God raise up lots of "Lonnie Frisbee's" in the earth.... that even though Evangelical Christianity has tried to forget who Lonnie was & what God chose to do through him - they will not be able to ignore an uprising of Holy Spirit Gay Christians who choose to respond & hear His voice.
It time for a new generation to awaken to the realities that Lonnie walked in, awaken again to the simple Gospel, a Gospel that relevant for everyone who hears it - An inclusive Gospel.
Jesus Is Lord
