Joe Dallas is an author, conference speaker, and ordained pastoral counselor who ministers from his own journey out of homosexuality. He directs CloudFire Ministries in Tustin, California, a biblical counseling ministry for those navigating sexual and relational problems, and for their families as well.
A prodigal's road
Joe came to faith during the Jesus Movement of the early 1970s and joined the ministerial staff of a Calvary Chapel in Long Beach, California. After several years of walking with God, he began to give in to temptations he had long resisted, and over time he slid into homosexual relationships and the pull of a double life.
Into the gay-affirming movement
In 1978 Joe was drawn to the Metropolitan Community Church, a pro-gay denomination that taught a person could be both actively gay and Christian. The message offered him a cause to belong to, and for a season he embraced it and served within the movement. Yet, by his own account, doubts kept gnawing at him. He could not reconcile what he was being taught with what he read in Scripture.
The long way back
In January 1984, at the age of 29, Joe turned back. He walked away from the relationships and habits that had defined those years, returned to his home church, and began meeting with a Christian counselor. What followed was the slow, real work of repentance and restoration, the kind he would later spend his life helping others walk.
A life of ministry
In the years since, Joe has served in leadership with Exodus International and built a ministry of speaking, writing, and counseling. He has authored nine books on human sexuality from a biblical perspective, including Desires in Conflict, The Game Plan, When Homosexuality Hits Home, and Speaking of Homosexuality, and he hosts the weekly podcast Christians in a Cancel Culture. He and his wife Renee, who founded the support ministry WifeBoat, serve on the Board of Elders at Mesa Church (Assemblies of God) in Irvine, California. As a content contributor to ReStory, Joe brings decades of lived experience and pastoral care to the work of equipping the Church.
This is a summary of Joe's publicly shared testimony, drawn from his ministry and published interviews. Hear his full story in his own words at joedallas.com.