Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
Modern-day slavery is a global epidemic. Every year, millions of women and girls are exploited in the commercial sex industry. This August, a new generation of abolitionists is being called to take a stand. At its fourth annual Abolition Summit, Exodus Cry will provide “freedom fighters” from all over the world with the training, tools, and motivation to effectively combat commercial sex trafficking and exploitation.
Based in Kansas City, Exodus Cry is a Christ-centered organization committed to the abolition of commercial sexual exploitation and the restoration of victimized persons. Exodus Cry’s three-day summit will take place at the Folly Theater in downtown Kansas City on August 6–8.
In addition to becoming equipped with practical tools to fight sex trafficking, attendees will be energized through a renewed focus on the hope and healing offered through Christ. This year’s speakers include human rights advocates, abolitionists, and survivors whose diverse experiences offer unique insight into the tragedies of exploitation and the redemptive power of healing.
Benjamin Nolot is the founder and CEO of Exodus Cry. Nolot has a passion for storytelling and was the director/producer/writer of the award-winning documentary, Nefarious: Merchant of Souls. At this year’s summit, he will talk about a society that is becoming desensitized to the needs of our fellow human beings and the ways that Christ teaches us to overcome this trend by living our lives with empathy.
“Jesus is deeply in touch with Himself and others. He is the embodiment and personification of empathy,” Nolot says. “This is the essence of Christianity. To be a presence in the world that brings freedom to the oppressed and healing to the broken.”
Front-lines abolitionist Don Brewster will also be providing expert insight into the fight against exploitation. A decade ago, he and his wife quit their jobs, sold their home, and moved to Cambodia to combat the evils of child sex trafficking. Together, they have launched restoration homes for many rescued girls through Agape International Missions. Through a variety of programs, their organization currently impacts over 10,000 people a year and has been featured in Nefarious and The CNN Freedom Project.
Another featured speaker will be Christina Rangel, the founder and director of Extreme Love Anti-trafficking at Bethel Church in Redding, Calif. Rangel and her team assist law enforcement officials with direct intervention operations in major West Coast cities and provide support to girls who have been trafficked. As a survivor of sex trafficking, Christina is passionate about the restoration of those who have suffered exploitation. “I love them right where they are at. I believe that love never fails, and it is transforming their lives,” said Rangel.
Additional speakers include Richie Cruz, a former sex buyer and the founder of Porn Scar, an organization dedicated to educating the public about the harms of pornography and equipping individuals with solutions that bring lasting freedom; Melissa Farley, Ph.D., a renowned research and clinical psychologist who has published extensive works on prostitution, trafficking, and the global sex industry; Andrew Comiskey, the founder of Desert Stream/Living Waters Ministries, an outreach that ministers to the sexually and relationally broken; and Kezia Hatfield, a licensed clinical therapist with years of experience working with sexually exploited women, who has pioneered Exodus Cry’s restoration program.
Guests will also have opportunities to network with fellow abolitionists and to attend breakout sessions designed to provide practical equipping for shifting the culture, reaching the exploited, and bringing restoration.
In addition, the event will feature worship artists such as Misty Edwards, Laura Hackett Park, Jaye Thomas, Jonas Park, and Jason Upton whose inspiring works celebrate restoration and encourage audiences to keep the faith in the fight for justice.
The summit will also offer attendees the opportunity to experience a unique photo exhibition presented by Rebecca Bender and Girls Education and Mentoring Service (GEMS). The “More Than A Survivor: More Than A Story” campaign features a series of stunning portraits of female survivor leaders. This traveling exhibit is designed to break down the stereotype that sexually exploited and trafficked victims are forever limited by their past abuse. Their stories inspire a sense of hope for the future for all victims.
To learn more about Exodus Cry’s mission and its commitment to abolishing commercial sexual exploitation, visit exoduscry.com.
