It turns out that hot, shirtless jogger who invaded the internet via a local Chicago news report this week is no stranger to standing out in the cold soliciting attention.
Ethan Renoe, who made everyone watching parched when he announced he was single, founded a ministry that in part targets gay bar goers to engage in some good old fashioned Christian prayer.
Related: Wet, Hot, Shirtless Jogger Interviewed By Local News Station Breaks The Internet
The former Moody Bible Institute student’s ministry, Free Prayer Chicago, sets up outposts of members — regardless of weather — outside of busy nightlife areas holding signs that say “free prayer.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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The group has been active for the last four years.
An article on the school’s website explains how Renoe founded the movement:
“Ethan and a friend were out walking around the city when they felt an urging to interact with the hundreds of people their age who were out in the popular night-life district of Chicago,” the article said. “When they grabbed a pizza box and scrawled the message, they did not realize they were starting a ministry.”
The group is quick to point out that they aren’t anti-gay, though their message is often misinterpreted as such. They’ve had passersby curse and even spit at them.
“Westboro Baptist is nearly the antithesis of what we are. Our message is a message of grace through faith. It doesn’t matter how far you have fallen, Christ loved you enough to die for you to set you free,” the group’s current leader, Noah Reynolds, said when asked about any similarities with WBC.
Then again, they aren’t exactly pro-gay either.
“Some people come at us angrily, but I can understand that because that community is their stronghold and that’s where their identity lies and they feel like we’re attacking it, but that’s before they talk to us,” said student Andy Wood. “Regardless of lifestyle decisions we have the same opportunity to share the gospel and love people.”
Which “lifestyle decisions” are you referring to there, Andy?
If you care to find out any more about the (super judgy if you ask us) group, here’s a handy video starring Renoe himself:
Free Prayer Chicago from Core Tools: Images and Words on Vimeo.
Grant Mealey
I’ll pray for him ð???
Josito Montez
Praying on his knees.
Roberto Addoms
Just because he has been on his knees doesn’t mean that he was praying.
Nate Burger
I wish I could say I’m surprised. When someone gives a shout out to Jesus on the news….they aren’t playing with a full deck.
Milton Appleby
Could you stop giving this person who has nothing to offer the LGBT community attention? Why are you fixated on him? It’s pathetic.
Dorianne Gray
Jesus is a hot Latino man he has the hots for, and prays for him every night.
Rob Robert
so? a person cant have faith and jog shirtless?
Alex Goodman
Jason Faranda
John Flannery
The level of middle-school inspired attention you guys slather on anyone without a shirt is kind of lame.
Garrett Piersa
If you’re going to say “we’re not anti-gay, but….” then yeah, actually you are.
AtticusBennett
methinks the lady doth protest too much…….
there ain’t no “lifestyle choice”, other than the fact that we made the great intellectual leap from the dark ages and refuse to pretend that your so-called “faith” has any relevancy or worth.
AtticusBennett
for what it’s worth , “love the sinner, hate the sin” has ruined more lives, torn more families apart, and resulted in more LGBT suicides than “god hates f@gs” ever has, or ever will.
the westboro baptist church are not the enemy. they’re too bats**t insane. it’s “sweetly delivered prejudice” like this guy is trotting out that is the real enemy.
Bryguyf69
1) I first read the title as “…Jogger Has Been PREYing Outside Of Gay Bars For Years”
2) “It doesn’t matter how far you have fallen…” ” “Regardless of lifestyle decisions…” Judgmental pricks.
3) I don’t think he’s all that hot. I wouldn’t turn my head if he walked past me. Then again, I live in Soho in NYC where more than a few models live (NYC, being the modeling capital of the US). And since it’s been above 60F, attractive men jogging shirtless is not uncommon. In other words, I’m surrounding by attractive men and he doesn’t measure up. Oh yeah, I also see lots of flesh at work, where I do medical research on patients….
3)
Philip Epstein
I bet he likes tips
rand503
That’s a great idea! Let’s start our own ministry and pray outside of Moody Bible Church in Chicago. As people come out of their service, we can urge them to leave the religious lifestyle and embrace a culture of love and acceptance. Turn away from the hate! That will be OUR message.
Mario Garcia
This isn’t shocking in any way. I was waiting for this shoe to drop when I heard he was a Christian waiting til marriage to have sex. Can I just point out that multiple studies have shown that homophobic men enjoy gay porn and typically turn out to be gay?
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
– Queen Gertrude
scotshot
@Bryguyf69: Seeing patients as sexual objects is pretty damn weird. See a therapist.
moldisdelicious
@Bryguyf69:
You sound like a pervert. Happy I’m not your patient.
And you also sound way too self centered for your own good. Just because you don’t find him attractive doesn’t mean that his world is ending. Get over yourself.
Bryguyf69
@scotshot wrote:
“Seeing patients as sexual objects is pretty damn weird. See a therapist.”
—
Er, where did I wrote that? Where did I say that I found my patients sexually attractive or even as sexual objects? In fact, I don’t. In fact, my research is in HIV and most of our subjects are sick, emaciated, ravaged with needle marks, etc. My point was that I am exposed to naked bodies daily so it’s not easy to titillate me by simply exposing flesh.
cutemikey
@moldisdelicious: Whoa, why the personal attacks against Bryguy? Was it wrong to explain why he didn’t find this guy attractive? Sure beats the “He’s so hot!” or “He’s ugly” posts. It’s a valid topic since the guy is famous only because some find him hot. The immature personal attacks just makes you seem desperate.
Stache
@wagnerwallace: Ha. Like bigots and nutcases need a reason to hate.
scotshot
@Bryguyf69:
I stand by my comment.
Within the paragraph you state you’re surrendered by attractive men, and in the final sentence you state you “see lots of flesh at work…” .
In context it appears you do find your patients attractive, judicious editing would have done wonders. That’s all.
scotshot
@AtticusBennett:
Westboro is the enemy no matter how batshit crazy they appear – they’re the types who find it easy to pull the trigger and have inspired other batshit crazy christians to come out of the closet to spew their hatred.
Dan Oliver
He just got really really ugly
Kenneth Myrnes
probably hoping to pick up some man meat while doing it
Ben Stimpson
It is ironic that while he’s been praying for us, I’m sure some of our creepier and more liberated brethren have been making a mess into tissues all over North America because of him. I doubt that he’s won souls.
Bryguyf69
@moldisdelicious wrote:
“You sound like a pervert. Happy I’m not your patient.
And you also sound way too self centered for your own good. Just because you don’t find him attractive doesn’t mean that his world is ending. Get over yourself.”
===
Your comment says more about you than it does about me. You are reading things I never said. First, look up the definition of “pervert,” then QUOTE exactly where I said anything perverted. For years, gays have been fighting the stereotype of being so horny as to be turned on by every man in their sight. Yet the fact that I am NOT turned on makes me a pervert? THINK before you post.
How interesting that YOU sexualized the patient aspect. I merely said that I am exposed to naked flesh daily. Did I say anything about sex? Is the concept of habituation too complicated for you to understand? Look it up. It’s where frequent exposure to a stimulus makes it less stimulating over time. Most NORMAL human beings experience it. Yet you chose to sexualize the comment. Examine yourself before judging others.
Amd QUOTE where I wrote or implied that “that his world is ending” just because I don’t find him attractive. DUH! My comment is no more “world ending” — or more or less important — than any other post here. That includes people who find him attractive. I respect those comments although I may disagree, It’s too bad you’re so megalomaniacal that you choose to attack those who disagree with you.
THINK about it.
Avery Alvarez
He managed to rip himself away from internet porn long enough for this?
Wouldn’t even shake his hand if I passed him on the street. I know where it’s been!
Bryguyf69
@scotshot wrote:
“Seeing patients as sexual objects is pretty damn weird. See a therapist.”
—
Look up “HABITUATION.” I bet you’ve experienced it too — just like all normal human beings.
KM201
@rand503: Where are the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence when you need them?
footwork61
Stop praying and just pay the damn cover. Some guys are so cheap.
DDstar1me
@John Flannery….I agree.
Jesus…maybe if I had a boyfriend I won’t have time to come on this site a BS lol.
DDstar1me
@footwork61 ….LMAO…Nice!
Stache
Puleaze. The weeping couple were already on the koolaid. That is if your being honest and we know most Christians aren’t. They don’t understand that not everyone believes Bullshit lies.
Michael Schroeder
He likes weiner
Stache
@Garrett Piersa: True but I’d get rid of the word “probably”. Trust me. They are.
Rikki Buff
Omg..the comments ! This is why we can’t have nice things!
Chuck Foust
Maybe he should go in the bar and get on his knees and pray!!! 😉
AtticusBennett
@scotshot: nobody was convinced to vote for Prop 8 because of the westboro baptists.
kids in middle america aren’t Closeted because of the westboro baptists. you wanna fight the REAL enemy? the real enemy are churches who “sweetly” call us Sinners. who “kindly” let us know that we’re sinful and need to find jesus.
that’s the enemy.
Stache
@moldisdelicious: Go take a valium and get off the keyboard.
wagnerwallace
Omg leave this guy alone. This is why so many people hate gays.
AtticusBennett
@wagnerwallace: no. the reason so many people hate gays is because too many people are uneducated, ignorant, bigoted morons who cling to learned prejudices rather than embracing reality, logic, facts and celebrating diversity.
gay people aren’t the reason that straight people hate gays. bigoted straight people are the reason that they hate gays.
tr6886
@wagnerwallace: who didn’t leave who alone? Those disgusting Evangelical Christians have attacked LGBT bros and sis for decades. It’s your choice to remain silent and abused by them, but many won’t surrender.
Craig Bankert
Paul V. Vitagliano
He’ll ring in 2016, fucking Kim Davis…
T.j. Willis
Wrong! You’re saved by faith AND works.
And by the spirit of Paul lynde.
Protestant heathens!
Mark Pawelczak
I bet he also prays in front of the glory holes in bookstores………
David Johnson
I’d do him
Michael Jacobs
That’s disappointing
Sand Nierenberg
He’s ugly
Christopher Leiva
Boner killer.
Daniel-Reader
Queerty blocks a lot of normal comments.
Æmin Ghanuni
Argghhhhh. Kim Davis and now This Guy. Plz write something useful. Stop spreading the same boring news all the time!
Jimmy McKenzie
Then he’s ugly.
Tony Rolston
Crail ð???
John P Farinhas
i will get down on my knees in front of him and “pray”
Jay McMinn
So have I, honey. So have I.
Verne Willson
Since he loves praying outside of gay bars, I would love to help him come out of the closet.
scotshot
@AtticusBennett:
Comprehension malfunctioning? It’s a waste to even post this after your reply. Have a good evening.
Jeremy Adams
Richard DeKnock
Instead of praying outside of gay bars, he should go inside and be a dick dancer. He could donate the money to charity! LOL
galatians328
YOUR comment that he is ‘super judge’ is SUPER JUDGY. But then Queerty is a SUPER SECRETIVE ANTI-HUMAN RIGHTS PLUTOCRACY.
Steve Russell
That’s the only way he can feel superior is by preaching to guys who think he’s attractive. His ego is bigger than his dick.
SonOfKings
Oh, I thought you said he was “preying” outside gay bars. My bad.
Aldo Harrison
Preying in front of gay bars! What!
SonOfKings
But seriously I’m a gig fan of Gospel House music and have often thought it would be great if someone were to hold a Gospel House/Drag ministry up ithe club. Get your dance and church on at the same time.
jockboy1986
@moldisdelicious: Oh? So we’re not allowed to talk about people’s appearances anymore on Queerty? I guess I missed the memo. So who appointed you Queen of Queerty? Get off your holier-than-thou soapbox and stop projecting.
Jon Mackey
That’s creepy
jockboy1986
@scotshot: *YAWN* It’s so sad that you have to project your own issues onto others. This isn’t English class. Go ahead, moralize and judge others if you need that to validate yourself. I think it’s just pathetic.
scotshot
@jockboy1986:
“Go ahead, moralize and judge others if you need to validate yourself. I think it’s just pathetic.”
I don’t have to say a thing!
hahahahahaha
expressionlessanger
@scotshot: Don’t blame others if you choose not to read what’s actually written. It’s really sad that some think they’re the thought-police, telling others what’s correct to think. Pretty ironic since this blog is about Bible-thumpers.
scotshot
@expressionlessanger:
“…some think they’re the thought police….”
Yet here you are being the thought police!
hahahahaha
expressionlessanger
@scotshot: Wrong. I criticized your ACTIONS. You criticized someone else’s THOUGHTS. Nowhere did you accuse the guy of molesting patients or doing anything unethical. And if you did, provide some proof. Here again, you are projecting your issues onto someone else, me.
scotshot
@expressionlessanger:
My issues? I stand by my statement. Sod off.
jockboy1986
@Daniel-Reader: Yeah but I don’t think it has anything to so with contents or your opinions. SOme combinations of punctuation marks are misinterpreted as code and it throws the editor off. I had one post that was rejected repeatedly until I posted each paragraph separately. Weird because it was a short post.
jockboy1986
@David Johnson: He looked better without the beard in that church promo.
Kangol
Girl, cut the games and come the f#ck out of the closet! Praying outside gay bars…yeah, preying and on your knees and soles is right!
J.W. Arnold
Pray away the gay!
Guy Caspary
On his knees?
zooby
He’s not even cute. He looks much older than 24 and is hairy.
Stache
@zooby:Yes he’s not a twink but he is very good looking.
Frank Sokolowski
I don’t need his prayers.
o.codone
@cutemikey: moldisdelicious is a hyper aggressive poster. look back at every post he’s ever made. some are threatening and actually scary. looks like the editors are on vacation. used to be they’d cut a guy who threatens others off the site. no more.
moldisdelicious
@cutemikey:
Personal attack my ass. All these sensitive self centered guys all trying to play the victim card when people don’t agree with them or call them out when they act super arrogant like their opinion on other people is the only one that matters.
He basically was saying that only guys that he finds are attractive are factually attractive and he wasn’t one of them. Talking about he’s around attractive people all day. He forgot that his words were an opinion. Like queerty article is just an opinion used on a platform calling this guy hot and constantly putting white men or guys that have Caucasian features on a pedestal, on some only white men can be beautiful bs.
Funny how I got flagged for calling queerty overkill of constantly putting any young white guy on a damn pedestal to the point where they are putting homophobes on there because they are supposedly “hot” is cool. This is why I don’t give two shits when it comes to hearing some gay people talk because they are fucking hypocrites. Ready to shout homophobia or force people to accept homosexuality where theyre forcing straight guys to kiss or do gay shit but don’t you dare force them to say that a black or nonwhite person is attractive. It’s their “preference” and they have a right to be bigoted. Fuck these stupid loser ass hypocrites that don’t have the balls to keep it real but always wanna wave their flag like some bitches.
moldisdelicious
@o.codone:
Threatening who? You’re one of those gay guys that basically lives on the computer where you literally try to act like you know who the person is when you don’t. Stop living on the damn computer. If you really feel threatened at a strangers words who you can’t even see or any know, then you need to turn off the computer and get a life. Stop being a loser and go out into the world and interact with people that you can see.
moldisdelicious
@jockboy1986:
Okay, mr. Jock. Like I give a fuck about what some guy on the internet think about me. I’m not one of those guys trying to fit into your digital gay community where folks are scared to venture in real life around anything that is gay in public view.
cutemikey
@moldisdelicious: And yet you gave enough of “a fuck” to respond. As nauseum. Keep convincing yourself, while inside you’re hurting without love or friends. It’s actually hilarious. Go ahead, work yourself up with your judgmental self-righteous anger. A stroke is waiting. And I’m not talking about j/o. hahaha
moldisdelicious
@Stache:
Just becuase i’m not kissing. Whatever kid.
Ridpathos
He would get a lot more prayer offers if he waited outside these bars shirtless.
moldisdelicious
@cutemikey:
Poor Mikey. Contrary to what many of your gay peers and you think, the internet is not an accurate representation of real life. You do not know me. On top of all that, just because I don’t share the same opinion or sound a certain way that you think is correct doesn’t mean that I am fucked up.
moldisdelicious
@cutemikey:
Maybe if you and your peers stop living through the internet, creating fantasies of you living the life or being popular on insecuragram, stop looking for people to validate you and everything you do and etc, you would realize that a lot of the crap that you guys constantly give into is unnecessary stress. It’s unhealthy. That’s why the life expectancy of gay men is lower than that of straight people.
Who are you exactly trying to impress at the end of the day? I say my opinion because I want to say it. I know that not everyone is going to like it or approve of it. Some might. I don’t need the approval of you in order to say something. Im a grown ass man. I don’t have to follow or fit in with the status quo in order to be a gay man.
Johanna Berg
🙁
Raymond Perez
No thanks. I gave up fairy tales when I was a child.
Gerald GeeLocke Panuthos
what?
Barry Shatswell
Why doesn’t he just simply go on in? Is he afraid he might feel at home?
Sam Vanderbush
He means well, but being gay doesn’t mean you have fallen from grace. I was born this way.
martinbakman
In one of his videos Ethan claims to have healed a homeless man’s chronic back pain through late night free prayer. Tank de lode!
Still, if these are true X-tians, I imagine the free prayer also gives folks a chance to throw in some money for their efforts.
Brian Sebastian Nuñez
If you looked into this person you’d know he’s doing that to show solidarity and tell gay people that unlike many other Christians, he is accepting and embracing. He’s not telling people they’re going to hell unlike many of you think. Not every Christian is Antigay FYI. Some of my dearest and closest a friends are very into their faith, liberal and progressive but not conservative bigots. Just because someone is trying to prove not every Christian is an asshole does not mean they are actively trying to oppressive you because they want to pray WITH you instead of FOR you. That’s the difference and I applaud this guy.
Roman Scanlon
I posted this the day it aired – again. Told you so
JaredNorthcutt30
If he’s serious about stopping homosexuality, perhaps he should put the titties away.
Timothy Ronald Pell
I never thought he was hot, I immediately thought he was creepy
DonW
@Brian Sebastian Nuñez: I know liberal and progressive Christians too, and they’re nothing like this guy. They focus their actions — not just prayer — on things like fighting poverty, sickness and social injustice. You know, stuff that Jesus talked about. When they say they love me I know they embrace me in my entirety, not in spite of my sexually. They’re not trying to “save” me.
This lurking around outside gay bars and soft-selling messages about how “far we’ve fallen” with our “lifestyle decisions” is creepy and condescending, not Christlike.
JessPH
> “It doesn’t matter how far you have fallen…”
Yup, that’s not anti-gay at all.
Jim Fulton
This is from the undergraduate catalog of his school. Moody Bible Institute (not sure if it’s his personal belief system but…):
Homosexuality and Transgenderism:
Moody Bible Instituteâ??s foundation for understanding these issues is rooted in our commitment
to the Bible as the only authoritative guide for faith and practice. The first two chapters of
Genesis constitute the standard and paradigm of Godâ??s creative intent for human personhood,
gender and sexual identity, and sexual intimacy in marriage.
Humanity came from the hand of God with two sexual distinctions: male and female. Godâ??s
divine standard and intent for marriage as expressed in Genesis 2 is between one man and one
woman. Within this context, sexual intimacy is a glorious blessing from God and a
fundamental aspect of human experience. Based on creation theology, biblical theology,
Leviticus 18, 1 Corinthians 5â??6, and other passages, we must conclude that homosexual sex
and same-sex romantic relationships are a tragic reflection of the brokenness of the human
condition and thus a sinful deviation from Godâ??s standard, wrong under any circumstance in
Godâ??s eyes. We do not single out homosexual sex and same-sex relationship, but affirm sexual
intimacy within the context of marriage and reject all forms of sexual unholiness, first of all in
our own lives, but also in the lives of others whom we have a responsibility and privilege
to love.
We affirm Godâ??s love and concern for all of humanity, including those brothers and sisters who
struggle with same-sex attractions, and also those who experience discord between their
biological sex and psychological gender. We regard sex at birth as the identification of the given
biological sex of each member of our constituency, including employees and students. We will
not accept as valid alterations of oneâ??s sex at birth based on experiential variation or medical
intervention
mastik8
He deserves a good sound spanking.
JerseyMike
@AtticusBennett: TRUTH!!!
Jaime Enrique Sibauste
He doesn’t work?ð???
Sebastián Gaspar
Well then stop giving the dude all this attention
NoCagada
FAG
RubyCleveland
hy
Laney Bruce
This is why I can’t with basic gays and their worship of “hot guys.”
Good-looking, it’s, but he never should’ve been made an Internet celebrity simply for jogging shirtless. I hope this happens every time some superficial sensation is created by gays on social media.
Rimminit
Soooooo true!
Captain Obvious
Oh Lord.
SteveDenver
“DEAR GOD, GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO GO IN.”
rickhfx
Well, I gave my heart to Jesus, and now he never calls.
SonOfKings
@Laney Bruce: I agree. I’m sick to death of gays going gaga over the most basic White guys, simply because they have hot bods.
Sansacro
@AtticusBennett: And organized religion, particularly the more conservative strains, such as Evangelicalism, very much contributes to that ignorance.
Sansacro
@AtticusBennett: Totally.
TomMc
“Westboro Baptist is nearly the antithesis of what we are. Our message is a message of grace through faith.”
No Mr. Reynolds, they’re Calvinists too.
(That penned, if I’ve misunderstood what you were really attempting to say… Sorry.)
Hussain-TheCanadian
If he’s saying that same-sex attraction is the “work of Satan” and we, as humans, have chosen to be this way, and we can “change” by accepting Jesus, then im afraid he is a Homophone.
If by lifestyle they mean “being gay” – then im sorry; I dont care how cute you are, you are still ugly on the inside.
Also a philosophical question: I thought Christians are big on modesty when it comes to people baring their bodies; why is this good christian showing off the goods?
jorgecruz
I can’t wait until someone finds his grindr profile and posts it with pictures to match his tattoos. Praise Jesus.
scotty
free shrugs!
Billysees
@DonW:
” This lurking around outside gay bars and soft-selling messages about how “far we’ve fallen” with our “lifestyle decisions” is creepy and condescending, not Christlike. ”
I think you’ve described it very well. It’s attention getting for his own misguided reasons. The longer he continues, the better chance he might get donors and supporters and then he might get more famous and then money will start coming in and then he might become like Mr. Chambers and others and ‘then’ he’ll realize the error of what he’s doing, except that he will have ‘found a way to make some money’.
@Sam Vanderbush:
“…being gay doesn’t mean you have fallen from grace. ”
Of course. But many there are that don’t realize that.
PretenderNX01
Someone needs to tell him not to make marks on his skin. It’s like, bro do you even Bible?
I figured he was a wingnut when he said he was like Tim Tebow but attainable, no one else but them thinks Tim Tebow is still a thing.
Captain Obvious
@SteveDenver: Exactly. Why would a straight guy even have gay bars and clubs on his mind in the first place unless it’s where he really wants to be?
On the bright side his issues in the closet make the rest of us seem way better by comparison so we can thank him for that.
He runs around shirtless at night in the rain for attention and preaches about God shirtless outside of gay bars in the middle of the night. I think he’s probably the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. Like a lost puppy that you have to put down because it can be saved.
Ogre Magi
Ok, he is a bible thumping zealot, but because he is handsome gay men are fawning over him. How pathetic