Evergreen International




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State of the Organization

Report from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Larry Richman
Given at the Evergreen Annual Conference Saturday, September 16, 2000
(Only a portion of this report was delivered at the 10th Annual Evergreen conference because of time constraints. This is the full text of the report.)

Evergreen has been around for 11 years. In some of those years, the organization has struggled, and in others, it has grown by leaps and bounds. Every so often, it is helpful to step back and take a look at what we are doing to be sure we are doing it in the best way. That’s what the Board of Trustees has recently done—and we’re ready to take the organization to a new level.

We dissolved the Advisory Board, which had served its purpose, and recruited some new people onto the Board of Trustees. We also created a separate Operations Committee of volunteers and a few paid staff who handle the day-to-day work under the direction of the Executive Director. We have brought on additional staff so there will be two people in the office eight hours a day, five days a week. Recently, the Board of Trustees identified three main organization priorities as a focus of everything we do: (1) be a referral service, (2) develop resources, and (3) provide education.

1. Referral service.

  • We continue to build a network of therapists and affiliate support groups where we can refer people for help. Our computer database contains information on hundreds of therapists, LDS Family Services agencies, support groups, and other organizations that can help.
  • Phones are answered live eight hours a day, five days a week, and also Tuesday evenings—and soon Thursday evenings. It is a big job to coordinate all the volunteers and we sincerely appreciate everyone who helps with this effort
  • We now have 28 affiliate groups: 4 friends and family group, 1 group for women, and 23 groups for men (2 of which are outside the US). We have several people coordinating this effort to keep in touch with existing groups and nurture developing groups. We are working to establish Internet discussion groups for those who don’t live close to an existing group.
  • Web site. I hope you’ve seen our remodeled web site at www.Evergreeninternational.org. It’s up and running today thanks to many long hours by several people. It includes the ability to place orders for materials directly on the site.

2. Resources.

  • We publish a quarterly newsletter The Journey. We invite you to submit articles and ideas for the newsletter. If you can help edit, format, print, or mail the newsletter, please let us know.
  • We continue to build an extensive library at the headquarters office and encourage people to use it for individual study or for research. If you have books or audiocassettes you no longer need, please consider donating them to the library.
  • We provide information packets and sell books by mail and over the Internet.
  • Two years ago, Evergreen published a workbook for men.
  • Within a few months, we will begin development of a workbook for women.
  • We also encourage independent writing in magazines and books. I hope you’ve noticed on the book table a new LDS book for spouses by one of our conference speakers. Other books by LDS authors are in the works.
  • At this conference, there are also two books in Spanish: a 50-page overview of the topic of homosexual problems and a full-sized book for friends, family, and Church leaders. Another book for men will be published in Spanish early next year.

I invite you to take advantage of these resources. They are available thanks to the sacrifices and volunteer efforts of many people.

We really want to be Evergreen International and not just Evergreen Wasatch Front—or even Evergreen United States. We have begun to translate materials into Spanish, and need to find people willing to help with Portuguese, French, Japanese, and other languages. If you have the skills to translate, review, or proofread, please let us know.

3. Education.

  • Evergreen presents annual conferences. This is the 10th and largest—we have 400 in attendance. We also present various seminars and workshops throughout the year, and regular firesides. See the newsletter or the web site for information about them.
  • We also have a list of people who are available to speak at group meetings, workshops, or Church meetings.
  • We are establishing a list of Friends of Evergreen to expand our sphere of influence (for education and potential fundraising). If you have friends or know of key people in your community who ought to know more about Evergreen, please see David Pruden, who can get you a packet of information.
  • We continue to build relations with Church leaders. You need to know that the Church is solidly behind this work. Two General Authorities sit on our Board of Trustees: Elder H. Burke Peterson and Elder Jack H. Goaslind. In our meetings with Area Presidencies, we have received their total encouragement and support. We provide training, as requested, to many hundreds of bishops and stake presidents each year.
  • We are working to refine a public and community relations plan and ask for your help in making it work. If you would like to become involved or have connections with key people in your communities, please let us know.
  • Evergreen is concerned about the limited number of therapists who have received training on how to provide assistance to people with homosexual problems. To address this concern, we have established a Therapist Development Committee and held our first meeting yesterday. This committee exists to promote the education and development of professional counselors and therapists. It will recommend ways to provide training and build more capacity. It will also serve as liaison with professional organizations.

How to Help

Many people ask what they can do to help Evergreen accomplish its mission. May I suggest four major areas where everyone can help?

Moral support

Talk positively about the process of change. If you are in a support group, support your group leaders. Bear testimony to each other and share your successes. If you are a therapist, family, or friend, don’t be shy to talk about Evergreen or that you know people who are struggling with homosexual problems. I often tell people in my ward and stake that I am involved with Evergreen. I’m proud of the work being done. I’m also proud of the many friends I have who have overcome significant challenges in their lives.

Financial support

Each year an independent CPA audits Evergreen's financial transactions and makes a report to the Board of Trustees. I assure you that procedures are in place to ensure that funds are handled appropriately and that expenses are approved and monitored by the Board of Trustees.

I want to publicly thank those who have contributed financially to support this work. Some have contributed in large amounts and others in smaller amounts but at great sacrifice. Pledge to make on-going contributions. This month many employers are conducting their annual campaign urging employees to contribute to the United Way. As you sign your pledge card, you will notice that you can designate an agency of your choice for your contributions. You can fill in Evergreen International and our address, and your contributions will be directed here.

Volunteer

I've mentioned tonight some of the things Evergreen is involved in. All these things take time. It's a tremendous burden for a few people, but manageable service when many people are involved. You help yourself when you help others. Please search your heart and see if you don't have a few hours a month you could devote to this important work. Please see David Pruden or contact the office to volunteer.
There are also day-to-day things we can do.

  • Thank your local bookstore or library for carrying books about overcoming homosexuality. If they don’t carry them, ask them to.
  • Write to television stations and newspapers to thank them for relaying appropriate information. When incorrect information is presented, respond with the truth.
  • Organize grass-roots efforts to educate the community about homosexuality. Many stakes are planning priesthood leadership training meetings and Relief Society meetings on how to help those with homosexual problems. Such a meeting was held with great success in my stake because I took the initiative to suggest it to my stake president. The same could be done in your stake. It's up to you.

Faith and prayers

Our faith and prayers have an amazing effect on how this work moves forward. Pray that we'll feel a sense of urgency where we need to move forward and that we'll have patience where we need to have patience.

Since we consider the fundraising effort pivotal to our ability to move forward in important ways, we ask for your faith and prayers. We invite you to pray with us that potential contributors might understand the issues surrounding homosexuality and be given a sense of compassion and urgency in the work we're about, and that the Lord will open doors that we may move His work forward in a major way.

As the theme of this conference says, Christ is the one that heals. We believe that God is guiding this work and is intimately concerned about each one of us. As an organization, we commit to follow the direction of His prophet without reservation or exception.

Confronting homosexuality is not easy. I hope that you'll soon learn─if you haven't already─that Evergreen has no magic cure. It can help you learn basic principles of healing, and put in touch with resources, but you have to make the effort and do the things that are appropriate for your situation. Use the resources and relationships available to you and make the experience what you need.

I love you, brothers and sisters. Many of you carry tremendous burdens. Many of you have overcome significant challenges and I respect you for it. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that everyone in this room has the ability to live the law of morality that Christ taught. He will never give us a commandment we can't live. We can’t control the conflicts we face in this life, but we can choose how to respond to them. God expects all his children to live his law of morality. He taught it plainly and His modern prophets reaffirm it.

I quote President James E. Faust from an address in general conference: "Each of us…needs to reach down into the innermost recesses of our souls to find the divinity that is deep within us and to earnestly petition the Lord for an endowment of special wisdom and inspiration. Only when we so profoundly reach the depths of our beings can we discover our true identity, our self-worth, and our purpose in life. Only as we seek to be purged of selfishness and of concern for recognition and wealth can we find some sweet relief from the anxieties, hurts, pains, miseries, and concerns of this world." He went on to say, "God can not only help us find a sublime and everlasting joy and contentment, but He will change us so that we can become heirs of the kingdom of God. This is really the recovery of the sacred within us. We have the authority in our beings to respond to challenges of life any way we choose. Thus we gain mastery in any circumstance. As the Savior said to the diseased woman, `Thy faith hath made thee whole.'" (Ensign, May 1995, p. 63, italics added)

May we have the faith we need to overcome all challenges that come our way. And because of those challenges, may we become what our Father has created us to be. God lives! And He loves us. I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
 
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