Gay, Ex-Hillsong Lear Speaks About Experience Wh Unclear Policy | Church Clary

Contents:

• GAY MIC DIRECTOR FIL SU AFTER BEG FIRED FROM CHURCH OVER ENGAGEMENT
• NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR NAMED TO DENVER GAY MEN’S CHOS
• GAY CHOIR DIRECTOR SAYS HE WAS FORCED OUT OF MARIETTA CHURCH JOB
• GAY, EX-HILLSONG LEAR SPEAKS ABOUT EXPERIENCE WH UNCLEAR POLICY
• THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
• TELL METHODIST BISHOPLET THIS CHURCH HAVE THEIR GAY CHOIR DIRECTOR BACK
• GREENVILLE GAY MEN'S CHOS IS MAKG THE YULETI GAY THIS YEAR

GAY MIC DIRECTOR FIL SU AFTER BEG FIRED FROM CHURCH OVER ENGAGEMENT

A gay former Catholic choir director has sued the church where he ed to work for firg him after he announced plans to marry his partner. It remas unclear if the state’s gay marriage law will impact the Catholic Church.

The Denver Gay Men’s Chos has been an LGBTQ talyst for change through mil excellence sce s foundg 1982.

Wh more than 300 ncerts durg s 42-year history, this 140-member ensemble is one of the premier gay performg arts anizatns the Rocky Mounta Regn.

NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR NAMED TO DENVER GAY MEN’S CHOS

DGMC has traveled to 12 stat, the District of Columbia, and Canada and has ma jot appearanc wh several gay men’s chos major U. Is a dynamic a ppella troupe prised of sgers om the larger Denver Gay Men’s Chos. Johnny Nichols Jr., joed the Denver Gay Men’s Chos as Artistic Director the summer of 2023.

GAY CHOIR DIRECTOR SAYS HE WAS FORCED OUT OF MARIETTA CHURCH JOB

He recently served as Artistic Director for Ipswich River Communy Chos North Readg, MA, and Assistant Conductor & Director of Edutn and Outreach for the Boston Gay Men’s Chos, where he spearhead tnal iativ and curriculum, cludg mic-foced social jtice learngs, nductg var ensembl, program velopment, and more. Ricki also serv as the Artistic Director of the Metropolan Choral KnappConductor Lreate, Artistic Director EmeruJam Knapp served at the helm of Denver Gay Men’s Chos for 10 years, nducted for 41 years total, 20 GALA alone, was named Conductor Lreate and Artistic Director Emer followg his retirement June 2023.

Wh a llective membership of over 200 voic, he guid the Gay Men’s Chos of Hoton, the Bayou Cy Women’s Chos (founr), and the Bayou Cy Chorale for eight years. Jam has tght choral workshops throughout the US, Europe, Zimbabwe, South Ai, Sgapore, and Thailand, and he served as Artistic Director of the Gay Gam VII Chigo 2006. “Sometim fdg time to volunteer is hard to do, however, one group, the Denver Gay Men’s Chos is steppg out and makg a difference the homels muny Denver.

Rocky Mounta Arts Associatn board nam new artistic director to Denver Gay Men’s Chos. Johnny Nichols, Jr., has been named Artistic Director of the Denver Gay Men’s Chos (DGMC) by the Rocky Mounta Arts Associatn Board of Directors, the nonprof umbrella anizatn that manag DGMC. “We are thrilled Johnny is jog the Denver Gay Men’s Chos, ” said Stephen Hutt, RMAA chair of the artistic director search mtee.

GAY, EX-HILLSONG LEAR SPEAKS ABOUT EXPERIENCE WH UNCLEAR POLICY

Nichols is fishg his tenure as Artistic Director for Ipswich River Communy Chos North Readg, MA, and recently served as Assistant Conductor & Director of Edutn and Outreach for the Boston Gay Men’s Chos, where he spearhead tnal iativ and curriculum, cludg mic-foced social jtice learngs, nductg var ensembl, program velopment, and more. He said durg the meetg where he got fired, the senr mister told Ptman he knew he was gay when he hired him.

And for a long time, Shanor said, Tle VII has been terpreted not to apply to the lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr muny. “It’s not like we don’t have closeted gay people servg the Uned Methodist Church or closeted trans people for that matter, ” Berryman said.

But like those misters, he has known he is gay for s. At her church, Hicks said, Ptman beg gay is not an issue.

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Canfield and his boyiend, Reed Kelly, ma natnal news 2015 when he was forced to step down as choir director for Hillsong NYC’s worship team, after appearg on a natnal televisn show, Survivor, which he stated that he was a gay Christian who attend Hillsong.

TELL METHODIST BISHOPLET THIS CHURCH HAVE THEIR GAY CHOIR DIRECTOR BACK

At the time I was not tellg anyone at church that I was gay. Around 2011, I told one of the head mic pastors I was gay wh tears my ey, and I thought they wouldn’t let me sg aga. I was a staway on CBS’ Survivor, and on the show, I was vol about beg gay, Christian, and servg as a choir director at Hillsong NYC.

) After the show began airg, some article me out sayg that Hillsong had a gay choir lear at their church to which Brian Hoton wrote a rponse sayg that was not te unls that man didn’t tell the learship he was gay. Unfortunately, he fot to check wh the learship of the NYC branch who knew I was gay and a mted relatnship.

GREENVILLE GAY MEN'S CHOS IS MAKG THE YULETI GAY THIS YEAR

JC: After I stepped down and was servg as an offstage vol ach, the lead pastor of Hillsong NYC told me that he believed homosexualy was a s. There are many LGBTQ people who serve as “hosts” and the choir, but apparently, you n’t lead worship, lead choir, or be a Front Le Volist if you are openly gay.

Everyone the church learship knew that I was gay and datg, and wasn’t an issue until Brian Hoton ma his statement that I wasn’t a choir lear at church and that they don’t approve of homosexualy.

In fact, the only time I heard the word “gay” om the ma stage was when was grouped together wh other mori, like the black muny or lack of clary on what the church believed hurt my relatnship wh the church bee I began not tstg people. I knew God loved me and created me as a gay man. Hillsong tly lov people, I believe that wholeheartedly, but by not beg clear about their beliefs [and l] on homosexualy, ends up hurtg the same people they are tryg to love.