Love New Freedom to
On
Bernie Anderson speaks about addictions
encounter with pornography in a By Ken Mayberry closet in a relative’s home at the age of nine grew over the years to the the fourth weekend of April, point where it nearly cost him 117 men and youth from the his marriage and his ministry Minnesota Conference gathRice as an Adventist pastor. The ered at North Star Camp near Lake depths of the seriousness of Brainerd for the 25th annual the weekhis addiction began to sink Christian Men’s Retreat end before. introduced in one evening when he featuring warm fellowship, Crisp mornings speaker came home from his work delicious food and inspiring and evenings gave Dwight Nelson with debilitating back pain, singing. Concerns way to the sun peekeach night. More which he later realized was an about the weather ing through the clouds on recently, Bernie has outward manifestation of his quickly melted Sabbath afternoon, in time become known for his inner struggle. As he slowly away, as the for a hike to French Rapids on frank communications on made his way down the hall ice had left the Mississippi River. the subject of pornography. to the master bedroom, his The event’s main focus, Sexual addictions have grown three-year-old daughter called however, was the powerful to become a major challenge out to her mother, “Mommy, presentations by guest speaker to Christians and their famMommy, Daddy’s broken!” Bernie Anderson. Some of the ilies—a terrible hindrance The first breakthrough men remembered Bernie in their attempts to follow came when his wife discovfrom Net 98 when he was the Lamb wherever He leads ered his internet activities a student at Andrews them in the final days of and confronted him about University and, Earth’s history. it. After a tearful confession along with his and reconciliation, he felt a co-host glimmer of hope. But there Broken Shasta, was still a long road ahead to he During his Friday night full recovery. After another presentation titled Our Stories series of lapses, feeling desperAre the Same, Bernie gave his ately trapped in his addiction, testimony about how a chance he determined to talk to
Guest presenter Bernie Anderson served for 23 years as a Seventh-day Adventist pastor in Texas, Utah and most recently in Orlando, Florida. Currently, he is a senior church advisor and East Region manager for World Vision—US, the largest Christian humanitarian organization in the world. He and his wife, Christina, have three daughters. 6 OUTLOOKMAG.ORG JUNE 2019
