A former porn star has left the sex industry to start a new life as a college student and church secretary, a group ministering to sex workers announced Tuesday.
Sophia Lynn, 24, is now an office staff at Celebrate Community Church in Sioux Falls, S.D., where she will work while attending college. The South Dakota church offered Lynn a place to live, a college scholarship, and a job at the church office when they heard she wanted to leave the sex business.
“This is like a dream,” Lynn reflected from her new home in South Dakota, according to a released statement Tuesday – nearly a week after her move. “I hope I don’t have to wake up from this. I feel like my life has been saved.”
Lynn came from a self-described devout Christian family and entered the porn industry only to make money to support herself and her young child after a divorce.
"When you have bill collectors calling you every five minutes, you start to feel hopeless," she said to ABC News last year.
She began with modeling but then was encouraged to try the porn business at the age of 18.
“I kept thinking, 'Why am I doing this?' But then I reminded [myself that] my car payment was due."
Lynn was re-introduced to Jesus Christ and eventually delivered from the sex industry with the help of Heather Veitch, an ex-stripper turned Christian evangelist. Veitch, who founded the ministry JC (Jesus Christ)’s Girls, has been speaking with Lynn for more than a year.
Veitch said many girls want to leave the business, but find it difficult to start a new life.
"It takes the kind of commitment we're seeing from Celebrate Community Church,” the ex-stripper explained. “This is the story of the little church that could.”
Celebrate Community Church claims to have 550 members and about 2,200 attendees on the weekends.
The South Dakota church had first heard about Lynn when she appeared on an ABC news report last March and expressed her intention to leave the industry. The church had reached out and invited Lynn to visit, but without success.
Instead, Veitch flew to South Dakota and spent a weekend educating the church on the size and extensiveness of America’s sex industry. The former stripper told the congregation that the first step towards helping girls like Sophia Lynn is to pray for them, which the church did, according to a report by the ministry.
"Three weeks later, my phone rang and it was Sophia," Veitch recalled. "She told me she was ready to make a real life change and wanted some real help. I called Pastor Loy [of Celebrate Community Church] and told him God held up his end, so now what are we going to do?"
The following morning at 6 a.m. Pastor Keith Loy called Veitch and said, “We’re ready to take this on.”
Sophia Lynn, who was living in New Jersey at the time, was on a plane to a new life in South Dakota six hours later.
"We're not going to play church anymore," Loy said. “We're going to be a church."
The JC’s Girls founder urges churches to follow Celebrate Community Church and help a sex worker leave the industry and start a new life.
“I’m calling it ‘One Church For One Girl Program,” said Veitch.
Last month, a new documentary – “The PussyCat Preacher” – chronicling Veitch’s journey as she forms the ministry JC’s Girls was released. The film records her initial struggle with gaining acceptance from women at her former church in California to winning them over and actually bringing them to strip clubs to minister to dancers.
Veitch now resides in Las Vegas where her ministry is supported by Central Christian Church.
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Dear Wordworker,
Please don't give up because so many who name the name don't seem to have a clue about the rules of the real game. Real exceptions do exist where the words of the New Testament are put into daily life, and I have been richly blessed to have recently connected with a group of them and am learning so much.
If you would care to email me (judyinenid@yahoo.com) your city & state I would be willing to see what I might be able to find out about what might be close to you.
Please condider that getting bitter will only hurt you, and it can be traded for letting God teach you how to forgive ---this is not an easy journey, but one that is more than worth what it takes.
May you know His comfort and strength today.
wordworker,
I've been in a similar situation, and I wish I had an answer for you. We are still not "members" of a church locally because we have not been able to find one that has outreaches to the community. I tried in one church to get one started, but I could find absolutely no one interested. But during that time for us the Lord really impressed upon our hearts for all time some of the real needs out there, both of our christian brothers and sisters, and also others. And since then we keep our eyes and ears open and have been able to help at times.
We got through our hard time, and trust now that the Lord will put us somewhere that we can be used effectively in this area. Don't lose hope, He has plans. Why don't you email me at twoburrosranch@hotmail.com.
In Christ's love.
I AM CERTAINLY SADDENED BY THE STORY OF THE CHRISTIAN WHO FOUND NO HELP FROM HER CHRISTIAN PEERS. FOR ME AND MY FAMILY, WE WILL PRAY FOR YOU AND WE ARE SORRY THAT THE CHURCHES IN AMERICA HAVE DROPPED THE BALL IN REGARDS TO HELPING OTHERS. I DON'T BELIEVE THE LORD WOULD BE PLEASED WITH THE WAY A LOT OF SO CALLED CHRISTIANS CONDUCTED THEIR SELVES. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND , DON'T GIVE UP ON ALL CHRISTIANS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE ARE STILL A FEW OF US HOW CARE. GOD BLESS YOU, AND WE WILL BE PRAYING FOR YOU.
How wonderful that in this age of "care-nothing" christians Lyn actually found someone who cares!
But then it's easier for those in spectacular circumstances to find help ... you gain publicity and notoriety when you help a hooker.
For myself, I'd give anything to be given a place to live, a scholarship and/or a job! I have a college degree but have been out of work for over a year and three adults (inclluding a pregnant woman) and a two-year-old are surviving on one minimum-wage job in my home.
I've been a Christian since 1975 and have always been faithful to whatever church I've attended (we've moved a lot). I've given away a lot of money and "stuff" to help others who were in need through the years ... and now that I am in need I find that my church is full of "care-nothing" christians. Christians who even refused to volunteer to take my husband to work ONE DAY when I had a flat tire and couldn't afford to get it fixed.
Do I sound bitter? That's because I AM. I've found that bitterness grows out of a wounded heart and my heart has been deeply wounded.
I'd ask you to pray for me but it seems everyone is willing to say they will pray but no one is willing to get off their tails and DO ANYTHING practical to help. If everyone who has mealy-mouthed promises to pray for us over the year really HAD prayed for us I'm sure SOMEONE would have been prompted by God to help.
Am I still serving God? yes. How much faith do I have iif I talk this way? The very fact that I still believe God exists and Jesus died for me proves my faith. In SPITE of my desperate situation (including coming within hours of being evicted and being "helped" not by Christians but by an ATHEIST after begging her for help) shows that I have a lot stronger faith than those who have never faced this kind of desperation.
Whatever. I'm at the end of my rope and have gotten to the place where I expect nothing from God's people. And that makes me SICK!
Orangepuff - Good on you. There was a time in my life when I used to frequent those places and those establishments don't just rob women of their souls - they rob men of their's too. Thanks be to God I don't go to those places anymore!
This is what Our Lady of America is all about...calling All of Her children to Her Son.
learn more about it and the spiritual conversions happening in Rome City, IN at www.oltiv.org
When I left the sex industry, I had to go it alone and it was very lonely and difficult making that transition. I even ended up homeless for awhile. Now I'm grateful to see that more and more ministries like Heather's are active in reaching out. Recently I learned that the strip club where I worked is now being visited by the wonderful people from www.iamatreasure.com. I knew women who went into porn and it is so sad, you could see the light go out of their eyes. And so many women in the sex industry get stuck there, with no seeming way out. Praise God that is changing thanks to these people. My full testimony is at www.savedfromstripclubs.org.
Excellent story and yes Amen that there is another soul won for Christ. So many people post on this site degrading pastors for there money hungryness, and their complaints about where the money goes. Maybe they need to read this story. Sure this is only one church that has taken this lady under their wing, but it is not the only church doiung these kind of great things. It is just the only one we hear about in this issue. I believe pastors raise money so they can do these kinds of things within their respective congregations and wish more stories like this one would be posted. I am not so naive to believe all churches do this but I believe more than not, take money raised and give it to the needy more than not.
Ok......how did the press get so involved in this one?
While the angels celebrate in Heaven for each soul won to the Kingdom, we should be reading about it and celebrating just the same.
A conversion is a conversion. Amen.
Praise God... another won for Christ
This is the church. What a story of redemption and how a church helps those in need.
Cool that's awesome! we need more people like Veitch.
Thank you Celebrate Community Church and Ms. Veitch for showing all of us what it means to care for the lost.