'A Life of Unlearning – a preacher's struggle with his homosexuality, church and faith' is on Amazon.com as an eBook. For the relaunch there is a 40% discount for the first week.

Book description

"We are all living a life of unlearning: unlearning things we accepted as truth but created a persona so unlike who we really are. Eventually cracks appear and beliefs challenged.

On the surface everything looked perfect. Anthony Venn-Brown was a happily married father-of-two and a popular preacher in Australia's growing mega-churches such as Hillsong. Behind the scenes he fought a constant battle to conform, believing his homosexuality made him unacceptable to God and others. After twenty-two years of struggle and torment, a chance meeting forced Anthony to make the toughest decision of his life; maintain the façade he had created or, be true to himself and lose it all. Tired of feeling torn and fragmented, he confessed and came out. The results of that confession took him on a lonely journey that made him who he is today.

This sometimes brutally honest account highlights not only the costs of being true to yourself but that the rewards of resolution and integrity are worth the struggle.

As Anthony's story is ultimately about being true to one's self, gay, straight, Christian and non-faith people have found relevance in this triumphant autobiography."

"Human stories, like the one in these pages, play a part in advancing understanding and acceptance. It is the story of a quest to find not only self-acceptance but one of the most powerful forces in nature—human love..” — Foreword by the Hon. Michael Kirby

FAQ'S

IS THIS A THIRD EDITION?

No. The first two editions sold out. As the first edition had such a profound impact on 1,000's of gay and straight people, I decided to re-release it again but in eBook format as many read that way today.

DID YOU CHANGE ANYTHING?

Yes. Some sections have substantially improved writing. Some things were too challenging emotionally to capture in the previous first edition. I believe with this edition the reader will get to experience many of those emotions. I can't say it has been easy going over so deeply once again the most traumatic experiences of my life. Where necessary information updated. And the epilogue totally re-written and relevant for 2014/2015. I am very happy with the finished product. And I LOVE the new cover (thank you Mark at Boxer & Co).

DOES IT CONTAIN WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE FIRST RELEASE (FREEDOM2B AND AMBASSADORS & BRIDGE BUILDERS INTERNATIONAL)?

No. That's another story for another time.

IS IT WORTH READING?

Apparently so. Readers, reviewers, ministers and academics said some wonderful things. It became a best seller in Australia. People have told me personally that it literally saved their lives. Read about that here http://gayambassador1.blogspot.com.au/p/readers-reviews-endorsements.html

I DON'T OWN A KINDLE?

This is not a problem. Kindle apps are freely available to read eBooks in that format.

I'M OLD FASHIONED. I WANT A BOOK. WILL THIS EDITION BE AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK?

Yes. One thing at a time. Steep learning curve for me on this one. Email [email protected] with Hard Copy in the subject line and you will the first to be notified.

If you've READ A LIFE OF UNLEARNING ALREADY and believe that more people can learn from this story then here are some things you can do to help.

1. Go to the page http://tinyurl.com/myjo5q5 and give it a rating

2. Write a review on the same page http://tinyurl.com/myjo5q5 .It doesn't have to be long. Two or three sentences helps. E.g., here's what Kerry wrote recently "One of the most captivating, powerful and incredibly moving books I've ever read. I'm truly grateful for in reading your story as doing so dispelled the negative opinion about homosexuality which I held completely out of ignorance. Ridding myself of that makes me a better quality person so I really do thank you for sharing your journey with me and the rest of the world. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone."

3. Recommend it to others on Facebook etc using this link http://tinyurl.com/myjo5q5

4. Share this link http://tinyurl.com/myjo5q5 in any relevant online forums or groups you belong to.

Thanks so much for your help.

If you have any questions feel free to email me personally [email protected]

Anthony Venn-Brown

Co-founder of Freedom2b

Founder of Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International

Congrats Anthony! 🙂

Well done. Thanks for taking the brave step to write the book and start F2B. Many people have been helped by your courage, compassion and strength.

Anthony

Freedom2b will be 10 this year. What an achievement I remember Bettys Soup Kitchen. I wished I stayed around in 2005 and onwards

Congratulations will be10 years this year

Happy10th birthday f2b! You are looking good! 🙂

Blessings and thanks to you Anthony for starting f2b,

Ann Maree