Mike Genung was at CRE Midlands last year when he heard his name being called.
‘As no-one knows me in the UK, I ignored it at first,’ he recalled. ‘But a woman asked me if I was the person giving a talk on porn addiction.’ Mike nodded. ‘I’ll bring my husband then,’ she said.
At the end of his talk the couple approached Mike. In tears, they thanked him.
‘Porn addiction had caused pain and wrecked their marriage for years,’ he recounted. ‘Now they had hope.’
Mike started Blazing Grace more than 20 years ago in the USA, to help people who struggle with porn addiction, sex addiction and adultery. The charity offers counselling by Zoom and in person for men and women. Mike, who speaks in churches and other venues, has written nine books and gets many requests for help from men and women in the UK.
‘I’ve been exhibiting at CRE for five years,’ said Mike. ‘I’ve also spoken in churches and led counselling sessions in the UK for individuals and couples. At every show, I hear repeatedly that there are no other Christian ministries in the UK that offer help in the sexual arena like Blazing Grace.’
On the morning of the first day of Mike’s first CRE, no one came to his stand.
‘It was as if we had spiritual leprosy!’ he said. ‘I prayed against the spiritual battle with the CRE prayer team, a wonderful couple. The dam broke and people started approaching us.’
According to Mike, the UK is the second largest consumer of porn in the world, second only to the US. Surveys show that upwards of 70 per cent of UK Christian men view porn.
‘I see the UK as a mission field that is ripe for ministering to the sexually broken,’ said Mike.
Mike told CRE News that an opportunity has surfaced to create a video series on recovery from sexual sin for men, wives and young people that would be promoted to the 70,000-plus UK churches. It will cost around £8,000.
‘We have also been praying for an office to offer counselling,’ he said. ‘This could be as simple as a room at a church.’
You can find out more about Mike’s talk at CRE 24 (12.30pm, Thu 10 Oct) here.
• Blazing Grace are on stand B27 at CRE 24
To book a stand at CRE 25, contact:
James Batterbee
T: 0161 240 4500
E: james@creonline.co.uk
Christian Resources Exhibition
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Crank Road
St Helens
Merseyside
WA11 7RQ
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