Former stripper and former hooker share the gospel at Vegas' annual adult expo
On this Wednesday last year, Brent Hopkins and I drove his Civic (not my Civic) out I-15 to Las Vegas for the annual AVN Adult Entertainment Expo. I am fairly certain that will be the only time I spend 20 hours over two days at a porn convention. My excuse was that I was writing a big story about adult-industry Christian ministries for the LA Daily News' then-upcoming porn series.
I focused on the guys and gals of XXXChurch.com, "the #1 Christian porn site," who are the most prominent of the anti-adult-industry ministries. Another character in this milieu is a former stripper named Heather Veitch, (pictured on left) who runs JC's Girls. I spoke with her last year at her booth, a black backdrop with furry pink accents, that was for some reason located in the gay porn section. She's back in Vegas this week with Hooker for Jesus Annie Lobert, and an LA Times blog gives them some play.
One Vegas topless bar allows Veitch to come at night to buy lap dances and use the time to talk to the dancers about Jesus. I have been invited along for a future trip and am very curious to see how that works out. Veitch says she has received almost no hostility from the people she is trying to reach in Vegas, even those not at all interested in her message.
On the other hand, selling her fellow Christians on her project has been difficult. Veitch has found that some churches are not interested in populating congregations with strippers she has invited to services. And then it always comes back to her look. Veitch says, "The Christian community can be very judgmental. But we think our look lets girls in the industry identify with us."
For the upcoming 40,000-strong Adult Entertainment Expo, Veitch and Lobert will be working the convention floor, handing out cards and delivering their message to whoever will listen.
There is no question that patrons and performers at the porn convention are open to Veitch and XXXChurch and the handful of other ministries. But after watching these interactions, I wasn't sure how effective they were. A lot of people listened, few people turned down the "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" Bibles handed out by XXXChurch, but they seemed to think it was more kitsch 
than Gospel.
Craig Gross, who runs XXXChurch, told me that people ask him all the time whether he feels like he is making a difference. And at one point he wasn't so sure. In his book The Dirty Little Secret, he writes about a guy who he thought he had helped free from the bondage of porn -- only to find the guy later fly off the deep end.
Some Christians are cynical of Gross and his colleagues, claiming they're a bunch of perverts who want an excuse to cavort with unnaturally endowed women. In a documentary, "Missionary Positions," one of the guys from XXXChurch (I can't remember who) gets smacked by a more fire-and-brimstone preacher who thinks Gross is doing the work of the devil.
I don't buy this. Certainly there are people who want out of the adult business. People like Keri Humble. And knowing that, these ministries just want to be there. Even if there is there.
This article was co-posted at The God Blog.
Posted by Brad Greenberg on January 10, 2008 10:53AM
Comments
The fact that XXX church even exists is a sad commentary on our times. Pornography, Prostitution, and Adult entertainment are a fire-breathing dragon that swims through our North American society with ease. Porn was simple to find before in years gone by but now, the Internet & digital TV makes pornography as easy to access as turning on a light switch. I have yet to find a fire & brimstone preacher that is effective in permanently curing a porn addict's habit. Shame is a lousy teacher to enslaved pupils.
We need people like the XXX church ministry to wade into the fire and rescue whom they can. I won't be joining them at the conventions and I personally would not own a computer that was not equipped with Covenant Eyes monitoring software because I do not need this visual assault. But I support them in their work and challenge those of the brimstone club to enjoy Paul's writings in Romans, since he notes that the law is not very good at restraining the flesh. Only as we support each other, enter into accountable relationships, and challenge this dragon head on will we be effective in helping people become free.
Posted by: Art Vesterdal at January 11, 2008
Hard to fathom this buy anything is possible with God
Posted by: Kenneth England at January 11, 2008
B"H
I agree with Art V. completely. Today's believing community needs to use every reasonable means to reach as many people as possible. I have often heard it said that the three biggest vices are sex, money and power/control. If we really believe this, then we should raise up leaders who are spiritual and mature enough to handle these various challenges. There should exist within our congregations not only children and teen ministries, but also outreach to adults such as various 12 step programs (AA, NA, AlAnon and OA - Overeaters Anon), bereavement support, mothers of preschoolers (MOPS), accountability groups etc and etc. We should never be surprised in general when sin is revealed in our midst. We may be caught off guard by the particulars of who has fallen, but the fact that some are tempted and overtaken by gambling or substance abuse or sexual sins should be expected and prepared for by those who are wise and equipped by the Spirit of GOD.
Three cheers for XXX Church, Heather Veitch, Annie Lobert and anyone else who is daring enough to believe that GOD might be calling them to go even to the ends of the earth to save the lost.
Blessings in the name of Jesus,
Shlomo
Posted by: Shlomo at January 11, 2008
Jesus was chastised by religious leaders for eating with publicans sinners. As He said He came not to judge the world but to seek and to save those which are lost. In my prayers I have often prayed for the salvation of porn stars and other apparently unsaved celebrities, politicians and so on while asking myself if I don't pray for their salvation who will? Think of the spiritual desert in which those people live. Perhaps no one they know cares anything about their eternal destiny, no one prays for them, no one reachs out to them. In my opinion only Satan could be truly happy in abandoning them to their ultimate fate. If a soul can be saved is there any wrong to bring it about?
Russell
Posted by: Russell Osmianski at January 13, 2008
This article reads like a LarkNews.com offering.
Posted by: CRussH at January 13, 2008
I think it's great that churches and/or ministries exist like the XXXchurch. Why surrender the porn industry to Satan? We (the church, believers) are called to be salt and light to the world. We are not very salty or very bright if we hide in our social clubs (AKA church buildings). We need to go where people need Christ.
We have no problems going to other countries. That's glamarous and we feel "spiritual" when we support missions to the former communists or elsewhere! But what about our own backyards?
I agree, not every person can do this....but for those who can and do, we need to intercede for them and pray God to use them mightily. We will not conquer via the sword, but we can win the Christ way...through love.
Blessings to you all!
Cliff
Posted by: Cliff Wright at January 13, 2008
Can someone please explain to me how this can be effective: "allows Veitch to come at night to buy lap dances and use the time to talk to the dancers about Jesus"
How can you be engaged in sin, lets face it that would make someone lust in their heart, and then tell people the gospel message?
I'm sure there are a lot of people who would like to get out of the adult industry, but how can we be effective in preaching the gospel, if they don't see us living the gospel?
Posted by: Jude at January 13, 2008
She/he doesnt actually use the lap dance -he/she tells the dancer i dont want a dance i want you to know jesus and sit here and talk to me...
Posted by: hope at January 14, 2008
Fully agree with Jude. Christians should not use short cuts to preach the gospel.
Posted by: IndiaforJesus at January 14, 2008
Jude, I got the impression from the article that Veitch was buying the lap dancers herself (from the dancer) and instead of having the service performed was using the dance time to speak to the women instead. I could be wrong. I applaud what groups like XXXchurch are doing, even though I'm pretty sure working in such an environment would be severely unhealthy for me personally.
All believers have a different calling; some to prisons, some to foreign nations, some to academia, and I would have to say, some to witness to the sex industry. They are certainly lumped in with the "least of these".
Posted by: Joe Chip at January 14, 2008
i am a belever in GOD im a weak person trying to get alots of help
from this evil of lust keep my soul in prayer how inGOD WAYS to get
rid of this porn thats full of evil and hell on earth this needs to stop its like abotion theres no right way its not right and not
good for any one and what can we GODS people do ways of stoping this
porn thats evil prayer ius a powerful tool for one and if the people
that are doing this only new what hell is realiy like they wouldnt
be doing this. thanks- keep up the good work GOD BLESS. p.s where
does this porn money goes to and who profits from this. and i hope to GOD THAT this porn would some day stop for good.
Posted by: richard r gallegos at December 14, 2008
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