“If Dawson McAllister was a secular, non-Christian leader, his priorities would make sense,” stated Alan Chambers, president of Exodus, which claims to be the largest Christian referral and information networking dealing with homosexual issues in the world.

He continued, “But if he serves the One who warned 'Woe unto you when all men speak well of you,' and follows in the steps of the Apostle who said, 'If I seek the favor of men, I should not be a servant of Jesus Christ,' then his response to pressure from gay activists and Clear Channel is distressing.”

It was on April 11 when the controversy started when 22-year-old Greg Kimball called McAllister's “HopeLine” – an off-aid hotline that allows youth to discuss their problems with a trained staff member.

Kimball, who tuned in to the radio show on Kiss 108 in Boston on some Sundays, posed as a 16 -year-old who thought he might be gay in order to see how the show handled calls involving someone questioning his sexuality.

The Swampscott, Mass., student was appalled by the questions and advice given by the HopeLine representative. He was asked whether he was raise religiously and was told that if he embraced God, he could be cured, Kimball recounted in his blog. Homosexuality was also compared to alcoholism or pornography or drug addiction by the representative.

Kimball then called again, after the 20-minute conversation that infuriated him, to get in contact with a different representative. The second time around he was referred to Exodus International.

Gay rights groups, including GLAAD, complained to Clear Channel Communications about the Dawson McAllister Live radio program, which airs on over 140 stations across the country.

GLAAD stated, “We reminded the company that its corporate diversity policies were in direct conflict with the dangerous anti-gay information McAllister Live representatives were handing out.”

Following the complaints, Clear Channel expressed to the producers of the radio show that listeners who call the HopeLine “be treated in a manner consistent with out corporate commitments to diversity.”

The Dawson McAllister Association reviewed its training for HopeLine volunteers and removed Exodus from its referral system and website.

Chambers stressed that his esteem for Dawson is not in question. In fact, McAllister was the one who referred Chambers, a former homosexual, to Exodus at the age of 19.

"Dawson McAllister was the catalyst for my journey, which eventually led me to direct the organization he’s now unwilling to officially associate with," Chambers explained.

While still respectful of the radio host and youth communicator, Chambers said it was "troubling to see any Christian-led organization allow itself to be guided by the demands of pro-gay advocates."

"While Exodus is the group being marginalized in this case, it’s the freedom to express a traditional viewpoint of sexuality that’s really at stake, raising the obvious question: Who’s Next? Should all on-air ministries who teach that homosexuality falls short of God’s will expect a knock on the door, demanding they either water it down or close shop?" the Exodus president stated.

"When a Christian leader is forced to choose between truth and market numbers, should market numbers really be the deciding factor?"

McAllister's CEO told Chambers that only one percent of their callers over the past 15 months had phoned in with the issue of sexual identity.

"Should we forsake the 99 percent for the one percent?" he asked, according to Chambers.

For Chambers, the answer is yes.

"Had he remembered the parable of the lost sheep, in which a good shepherd left the 99 for the one, he might have answered his own question."

McAllister has spoken to millions of teenagers and young adults through television, student conferences and radio. He gives advice to youth who struggle with such issues as broken families, abuse and addiction. He started his radio career in Christian radio and in 2005 made the switch to Top 40 mainstream radio.

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