Controversial Gay Conversion Ministry Closes After Leader Comes Out And Apologizes To Represent 'A New Generation Of Christians Looking For Change'

Exodus International, a Christian group with 260 churches in Florida who believed in gay "conversion therapy," shut down after leader Alan Chambers apologized in an open letter and subsequently came out.

"It is strange to be someone who has both been hurt by the church's treatment of the LGBT community, and also to be someone who must apologize for being part of the very system of ignorance that perpetuated that hurt," Chambers wrote on the official Exodus website.

According to The Independent, Chambers confessed that ex-gay therapy was ineffective and that he's never had a successful case of someone altering their sexual orientation.

In fact, Chambers himself admitted to "conveniently [omitting] my ongoing same-sex attractions."

"I was afraid to share them as readily and easily as I do today. They brought me tremendous shame and I hid them in the hopes they would go away. Looking back, it seems so odd that I thought I could do something to make them stop."

Exodus was founded in 1976, and two of its founders Michael Bussee and Gary Cooper left three years later because they fell in love with each other. Bussee had since been an activist in speaking out against gay conversion methods.

"I actually just almost went insane. I was thoroughly depressed," said Bobby Painter, who paid $48,000 to attend Exodus.

"You just become very hate-filled toward yourself."

Finally, after a unanimous vote during its annual meeting, Exodus International decided to close its doors, reported The Age.

"I am sorry for the pain and hurt many of you have experienced. I am sorry that some of you spent years working through the shame and guilt you felt when your attractions didn't change. I am sorry we promoted sexual orientation change efforts and reparative theories about sexual orientation that stigmatized parents."

With more and more political leaders endorsing gay marriage, the Supreme Court is set to make a verdict on the legality of same-sex marriage very soon.