Meet Our New Director of Student Outreach!

When I joined Harvest USA in 2014, I was pleased to learn that we had an entire branch of ministry called “The Student Outreach.” It was dedicated to producing resources for parents and youth workers to help them educate, raise, and prepare the next generation to live with sexual integrity and faithfulness to God. During that time, we developed seminars like Raising Sexually Faithful Kids and a curriculum for high school students called Alive.

Searching for a Director of Student Outreach

But, four years later, by 2018, we no longer had any staff working full-time in this area.

While our resources seemed to be drying up, the demand for such ministry was growing exponentially. Pornography was becoming more prolific, social media was becoming increasingly dangerous for teens, Gen Z and Alpha were increasingly identifying as LGBTQ+, and the social contagion of modern gender ideology was invading our schools and even some churches. 

Parents have never felt more desperate for help in these areas. Since 2018, all our ministry staff have pitched in to fill these gaps. Raising Sexually Faithful Kids remained our most requested seminar, and we continued to produce many articles addressing the needs of parents today. We also intentionally started our new online course platform by producing two courses specifically for parents. But, to truly meet the moment’s needs, we knew we needed full-time staff dedicated to this work.

Our search for a Director of Student Outreach was a long journey. Our faith was stretched, and we truly saw our need for the Lord to provide the right person for this crucial role.

Stephen Moss — from Revoice?

Then, in April this year, we received an email from a man some of you may be familiar with, Stephen Moss. Stephen became a well-known name, especially in the PCA, for co-founding and serving in Revoice from 2018–2020. Stephen had a public testimony of experiencing and battling against same-sex attraction, while also striving daily to follow Christ as a redeemed son of God. 

Revoice and Stephen advocated for an understanding of same-sex attraction that is often referred to as Side B theology. At the risk of simplifying what may be a diversity of beliefs, in general, Side B theology believes that any kind of same-sex sexual behavior is sinful and requires repentance. It also acknowledges that marriage is only for one man and one woman. But Side B errs in its understanding of sin and sanctification. It only identifies sin with willful actions instead of locating it as a matter of the heart, which includes our desires and attractions. Side B advocates would say that simply experiencing same-sex attraction is not sinful; only acting on those attractions would be sinful. Therefore, any attempt at changing one’s desires is viewed by Side B advocates as “conversion therapy” that should be outright rejected.

While there may be good intentions on the part of some to speak the language of the culture for the sake of reaching the lost, what has often happened in this movement is that the culture has ended up shaping their theology much more than the other way around.

As a result of seeing SSA as a neutral experience, many Side B advocates prefer to identify as “gay Christians,” believing that is the most honest way to describe their experience. Some would even say that there are aspects of their same-sex attraction that are advantageous to their Christian life. Side B theology, simply put, is trying to synergize the culture’s anthropology regarding identity with a biblical worldview. They will happily appropriate terms like “queer culture” or “sexual orientation” and baptize them with a biblical veneer. 

But while there may be good intentions on the part of some to speak the language of the culture for the sake of reaching the lost, what has often happened in this movement is that the culture has ended up shaping their theology much more than the other way around.

With that background, one would think that Stephen Moss and Harvest USA are unaligned in our beliefs. But this is where Harvest’s story and Stephen’s come together.

Stephen’s Story

Through a variety of resources, people, and, most importantly, the Holy Spirit, God was working in Stephen to bring him into greater alignment with biblical teaching on matters of sin, sanctification, identity, and sexuality.

In 2021, Stephen publicly shared his story of leaving Revoice and embracing what his denomination, the PCA, had always taught on these issues as outlined in the Westminster Standards. Stephen found that affirming a biblical understanding of these issues led him to greater freedom, holiness, and joy in the Lord as a beloved son.

Since then, the Lord continued to deepen Stephen’s walk with him, bringing him into a season of healing and growth with a solid church in St. Louis. During that time, the Lord called Stephen to marry his wife Audrey, and they have now joyfully welcomed their first child into their family. The Lord used Audrey, specifically, to encourage Stephen that now was the time to prayerfully consider how God would continue to write Stephen’s story of redemption and usefulness in the Kingdom. 

The Lord’s Provision for Harvest USA

With discernment and the encouragement of many trusted brothers and sisters, Stephen applied for our Director of Student Outreach position. A three-month process of prayer, discernment, and discussions between Stephen and Harvest USA followed. We spent many lengthy meetings diving into the fine details of Harvest USA’s theology and our philosophy of ministry. Those meetings would be followed up with detailed email reflections and questions. Everyone, Stephen included, wanted to be sure we were fully aligned.

Stephen found that affirming a biblical understanding of these issues led him to greater freedom, holiness, and joy in the Lord as a beloved son.

The result of these labors was two-fold. First, our leadership became increasingly convinced that Stephen’s theology and philosophy of ministry were fully aligned with the core beliefs, values, and mission of Harvest USA. Along with that, we were deeply encouraged by Stephen’s humility throughout the entire process. He wanted us to know that he’s not coming to us an immovable rock, but a humble servant willing to hear feedback and take direction. 

Second, our discussions produced great excitement about what Stephen would add to Harvest USA. Stephen is a gifted, thoughtful writer. We would ask him to write on a specific topic, and the very next day he would have an entire polished essay back to us. His writing is sensitive to his readers’ concerns, careful in presenting the gospel clearly and compassionately, and he is able to write in a way that meets people where they’re at. We believe he is exactly the type of writer and speaker that this vital area of our ministry needs. He knows how to speak to parents, he understands the issues their children are facing, and he can frame those within a biblical lens.

So, with all that said, it is with great delight and excitement that we introduce our new Director of Student Outreach, Stephen Moss!