A special thank you to our podcast guest, Daniel Wiess (founder of SILS)!
WAIT… There’s a Sexual Integrity Industry?
For a lot of Christians, the phrase “sexual integrity industry” sounds strange at best and suspicious at worst.
Industry? In the Church? Around sex?
It almost feels like someone smuggled corporate language into sacred space.
But here’s what most people don’t realize: while the pornography industry is worth billions, while hookup culture is algorithmically engineered, and while confusion around identity and sexuality is aggressively discipling the next generation, there are actually thousands of pastors, counselors, recovery leaders, educators, and ministry workers quietly dedicating their lives to helping people heal.
There is, in fact, an entire ecosystem of leaders committed to sexual integrity.
And most churches have no idea it exists.
The Hidden Network Most Churches Never See
Across the country, men and women are working on the front lines of sexual brokenness. Some are walking couples through the devastation of infidelity. Some are helping men break decades long pornography addiction. Some are caring for women healing from betrayal trauma. Others are ministering to those recovering from abortion regret or sexual exploitation.
This work is happening every day.
Yet many pastors still operate under the assumption that sexual brokenness is either minimal in their congregation or best handled quietly if it surfaces. What we consistently see, however, is that churches that openly address these issues tend to encounter more people seeking help, not because their church is more broken, but because it has become more honest.
When leaders create space for the conversation, people step into the light.
When leaders avoid the conversation, people stay hidden.
Why This Feels So Uncomfortable
Sex has always been powerful. In our cultural moment, it is also politicized, monetized, weaponized, and deeply confused. That makes it one of the most emotionally charged areas a pastor can address.
There are real risks involved in stepping into this space. Some leaders have preached clearly about biblical marriage or sexual ethics and have faced pushback from within their own congregations. Others fear that addressing sexuality will fracture their church or invite unnecessary conflict. That tension is not imaginary.
What is often overlooked, though, is that silence carries its own consequences. When the Church refrains from speaking with clarity and compassion, it unintentionally communicates that these struggles are either too shameful to mention or too controversial to confront. Neither message reflects the heart of the gospel.
Sexual brokenness is not uniquely scandalous. It is simply one expression of humanity’s larger need for redemption.
It’s Bigger Than a Program
When people first hear about ministries devoted to sexual integrity, they sometimes assume it is about conferences, curriculum, or recovery programs. Those tools matter, but they are not the heartbeat.
The real work is cultural.
It is about shaping churches where confession is met with compassion. It is about training leaders to hold both truth and grace without flinching. It is about equipping pastors so they do not feel alone when someone walks into their office carrying a story they never expected to hear.
Healthy sexual discipleship does not begin with a downloadable resource. It begins with leaders who are willing to say, “We are not afraid to talk about this.”
The Kingdom Is Not Afraid of Hard Topics
One of the most helpful theological shifts in recent years has been a renewed understanding that the Kingdom of God is not only a future reality but a present one. When Jesus declared that the Kingdom was at hand, He was announcing that God’s reign was breaking into ordinary life.
That includes sexuality.
When a man chooses integrity over secrecy, the Kingdom is visible. When a couple rebuilds trust after betrayal, the Kingdom is visible. When a church sets clear boundaries while extending open arms, the Kingdom is visible.
Sexual integrity is not a niche ministry category. It is a discipleship issue. It touches marriages, parenting, leadership, and mission. It shapes how credible the Church appears to a watching world.
The Industry You Didn’t Know You Needed
So yes, there is a sexual integrity “industry,” but it does not look like a corporate machine. It looks like pastors praying over broken marriages. It looks like counselors sitting with tears. It looks like recovery leaders staying late after meetings. It looks like ministries collaborating instead of competing because the need is so vast.
There are networks forming. Leaders are gathering. Resources are being built. Conversations that used to happen in isolation are now happening in community.
The question is not whether this work exists.
The question is whether the wider Church is ready to engage it.
Why This Matters Now
We are living in a moment where sexual confusion is louder than ever, yet clarity is more needed than ever. Young people are hungry for something sturdier than cultural slogans. Marriages are desperate for healing. Leaders are quietly asking for help.
This is not the time for the Church to retreat from the conversation. It is the time to step into it with humility, preparation, and prayer.
And that is exactly why Sexual Integrity Leaders exists.
SILs, Sexual Integrity Leaders, Inc., is a growing network of pastors, counselors, ministry leaders, and practitioners committed to helping the Church address sexual brokenness with courage and compassion. Through summits, collaboration, training, and ongoing community, SILs is equipping leaders to build cultures of safety, clarity, and redemptive care in their local churches.
If you are a pastor who feels unequipped, a counselor who feels isolated, or a ministry leader who knows this issue cannot be ignored any longer, SILs is a place to connect, learn, and stand shoulder to shoulder with others who are committed to seeing sexual integrity restored in the Body of Christ.
The pornography industry is massive.
The confusion is loud.
But the Church is not powerless.
There is a movement forming.
And you are invited to be part of it.
