Shameful history of anti-gay megachurch Hillsong as founr rigns

Contents:

• GAY, EX-HILLSONG LEAR SPEAKS ABOUT EXPERIENCE WH UNCLEAR POLICY
• GAY COUPLE AT CENTER OF HILLSONG CONTROVERSY SAY THEY'VE BEEN 'OPEN AND FORTHRIGHT' ABOUT RELATNSHIP 'FROM THE GET-GO'
• HILLSONG'S BRIAN HOTON 'CORRECTS' REPORT THAT 'OPENLY GAY COUPLE' LEADS NYC CHURCH CHOIR, INSISTS STANCE ON HOMOSEXUALY 'ABSOLUTELY' HAS NOT CHANGED
• SHAMEFUL HISTORY OF ANTI-GAY MEGACHURCH HILLSONG AS DISGRACED FOUNR RIGNS AMID MISNDUCT CLAIMS
• HILLSONG'S BRIAN HOTON ON GAY MARRIAGE: 'I BELIEVE THE WRGS OF PL ARE CLEAR ON THIS SUBJECT'
• GAY EX-HILLSONG MEMBERS SPEAK OUT AGAST CHRIS PRATT’S CHURCH: ‘THEY DON’T BELIEVE US AS HUMAN BEGS’HUMAN RIGHTSCHRIS PRATT FEND HIS EVANGELIL CHURCH AGAST ELLEN PAGE’S ‘ANTI-LGBTQ’ ACCATN, BUT FORMER HILLSONG SUPPORTERS SAY THEY FELT ‘SHUNNED.’JOSEPH LONGOUPDATED FEB. 18, 2019 7:47PM EST / PUBLISHED FEB. 15, 2019 10:21PM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY LYNE LUCIEN/THE DAILY BEASTON A NOVEMBER 2017 NIGHT DOWNTOWN LOS ANGEL, SELENA GOMEZ TEARFULLY REUNTED HER JOURNEY TO BEG “A CHILD OF GOD” ONT OF A ROOM FULL OF FELLOW EVANGELIL CHRISTIANS. SHE READ ALOUD A SELF-ADDRSED LETTER, SHARG THE DAY SHE SAT A CHURCH SERVICE WH A IEND AND FELT THE END TO A OF “FALLG AND TRYG, HURTG AND QUTNG.” CLIFFORD JABS SAT THE DIENCE AT THE MICROSOFT THEATER WH A CLOSE IEND OF HIS OWN. HE’D TRAVELED OM NEW YORK TO ATTEND HILLSONG CHURCH’S ANNUAL NFERENCE, AS A RELIG NFIRMATN OF SORTS. HE’D STARTED ATTENDG HILLSONG SERVIC NEW YORK LS THAN A YEAR AGO. THE MORN MIC AND LIVELY PASTORS SATISFIED HIS SPIRUAL YEARNGS A WAY HE HADN’T FELT SCE CHILDHOOD.LISTENG TO ONE OF HIS FAVORE SGERS SPEAK, JABS, WHO IS GAY, HAD A SUDN REALIZATN. “I’M NOT HEARG ANYTHG ABOUT THE LGBTQ POPULATN,” HE SAID, QUICKLY PICKG UP HIS PHONE TO GOOGLE “HILLSONG CHURCH LGBTQ.” SCROLLG THROUGH THE ONSLGHT OF NEGATIVE PRS, HE SAT SHOCKED AND WAED FOR SOMEONE ON STAGE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LGBTQ MUNY. NO ONE DID. “IN THE ABSENCE OF NOTHG BEG SAID, ADDN TO THE HISTORY, I REALIZED THAT THIS CHURCH WAS NOT FOR ME,” HE RELLED. JABS IS JT ONE OF SEVERAL FORMER HILLSONG CHURCHGOERS AND MIC FANS REVISG THEIR EXPERIENC—MOSTLY NEGATIVE—THIS WEEK ON SOCIAL MEDIA THE WAKE OF ELLEN PAGE CRICIZG CHRIS PRATT’S ASSOCIATN WH THE “ANTI-LGBTQ” CHURCH. PRATT ATTENDS LOS ANGEL’ ZOE CHURCH, A BRANCH OF THE SOCIAL-MEDIA SAVVY HILLSONG FAY EVANGELIL CHURCH TREE. ZOE CHURCH HAS NOT OFFICIALLY E OUT AGAST THE LGBTQ MUNY, THOUGH S PASTOR PRODUCED A FILM THAT EQUATED HOMOSEXUALY WH “SEXUAL BROKENNS.” PRATT FEND HIS PARISH ON INSTAGRAM AGAST PAGE’S CLAIMS, CG THEIR SUPPORT AFTER HIS DIVORCE OM ACTRS ANNA FARIS. “IT IS WHAT I HAVE SEEN THEM DO FOR OTHERS ON UNTLS OCSNS REGARDLS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATN, RACE OR GENR,” HE WROTE.HOWEVER, AS THE DAILY BEAST PREVLY REPORTED, PARENT CHURCH HILLSONG HAS A LENGTHY HISTORY OF GAY NVERSN THERAPY, AND REFG LEARSHIP ROL TO LGBTQ PEOPLE. A REPRENTATIVE FOR HILLSONG CLED TO MENT ON THE CHURCH’S CURRENT LGBTQ BELIEFS, STEAD REFERRG TO GLOBAL SENR PASTOR BRIAN HOTON’S 2015 BLOG TLED, “DO I LOVE GAY PEOPLE?” FOLLOWG BACKLASH AFTER THE FIRG OF JOSH CANFIELD, A GAY MAN WHO SERVED AS HILLSONG’S NYC CHOIR DIRECTOR, OVER HIS SEXUALY, HOTON WROTE, “HILLSONG CHURCH WEL ALL PEOPLE BUT DO NOT AFFIRM ALL LIFTYL. PUT CLEARLY, WE DO NOT AFFIRM A GAY LIFTYLE AND BEE OF THIS WE DO NOT KNOWGLY HAVE ACTIVELY GAY PEOPLE POSNS OF LEARSHIP, EHER PAID OR UNPAID.” THE NEWS ME AS A SHOCK TO MANY WHO DIDN’T EXPECT HOMOPHOBIA WH THE MORN, HIGH-TECH CHURCH. BUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WRER CLARKISHA KENT ALREADY KNEW WHERE THEY STOOD ON HER MUNY. SHE’D DONE HER REARCH A FEW YEARS EARLIER. “I DIDN’T KNOW, BEG A YOUNG QUEER, WHAT THEIR ACTUAL MSAG WERE,” SAID KENT, WHO BEGAN HER VTIGATN AS A UNIVERSY OF CHIGO UNRGRAD 2012. “HILLSONG IS A VERY GOOD STUDY ON HOW TO PACKAGE BIGOTRY.”WHILE NEVER AN OFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE HILLSONG CHURCH, KENT WAS A VOTED FAN OF HILLSONG UNED, ONE OF THREE BANDS THAT PRISE THE CHURCH’S MIC BRANCH. SHE FIRST HEARD THE BAND AT THE NONNOMATNAL 2009 ACQUIRE THE FIRE CHRISTIAN YOUTH NFERENCE NASHVILLE. ATTENDG WH HER BAPTIST TEEN MISTRY GROUP, KENT WAS ENRAPTURED BY HILLSONG UNED’S MOODY, GUAR-DRIVEN TAKE ON CHRISTIAN SONGS AND STAGE “SET UP LIKE A EAK’ BEYONCé NCERT.” THEY BEME PART OF HER DAILY PLAYLIST AS A TEEN. BUT AFTER HEADG OFF TO THE UNIVERSY OF CHIGO, KENT ME OUT AS BISEXUAL AND STARTED REARCHG HILLSONG’S STANCE ON LGBTQ ISSU. SHE QUICKLY LOST FAH A BAND THAT ONCE MA HER FEEL ACCEPTED. “THEY’RE NOT GOG TO PUT ANTI-GAY THEIR LOVE SONGS. THEY’RE SMART FOR THAT, BUT WE GOT TO BE SMARTER,” KENT, WHOSE TWTER THREAD CRIQUG HILLSONG AND PRATT WENT VIRAL EARLIER THIS WEEK, EXPLAED. EVER SCE HILLSONG NYC’S SENR PASTOR CARL LENTZ JOED JT BIEBER’S ENTOURAGE 2017, MEDIA OUTLETS ROUTELY VER THE INSTAGRAM-IENDLY EVANGELIL CHURCH BUT ONLY OCSNALLY EXPLORE THEIR NOT-SO-PICTURQUE PAST. IN AUGT 2018, THE CUT OUTLED THE MANY CELEBRY NNECTNS TO EVANGELIL PASTORS OM THE KARDASHIANS AND VO CHURCH’S RICH WILKERSON TO CHRIS PRATT AND ZOE CHURCH’S CHAD VEACH.IN THE PIECE, WRER LEA CEASRE—WHO INTIFI AS STRAIGHT—RE-EXAMED HER TIME ATTENDG HILLSONG NYC FOUR YEARS EARLIER. “I THOUGHT I HAD MOVED ON WH MY LIFE. THIS WASN’T A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE MY LIFE,” CEASRE SAID. “NO ONE HAD OPENLY E OUT TO ME THERE, BUT I HAD SOME IENDS WHO WANTED TO JO THAT WERE GAY. IT WAS THIS WEIRD THG WHERE I ULDN’T VE THEM OR TALK ABOUT .”CEASRE, TIRED OF READG LARGELY POSIVE, CELEBRY-FOCED ARTICL ON THE CHURCH, WROTE A PERSONAL SAY FOR THE OUTLE SEPTEMBER 2018 ABOUT LEAVG BEHD THE “RETROGRA VALU” OF HILLSONG. SHE LLED THE EXPERIENCE LARGELY POSIVE, APPRECIATG THE NGREGATN’S RACIAL DIVERSY AND MUNY SERVICE. BUT SHE ULDN’T STOMACH THE “SHADY AND DISGENUO” FOC ON CELEBRY WHILE BEG “SHUNNED” FOR QUTNG THEIR FOC ON TRADNAL MARRIAGE. HER PARTURE WASN’T WHOUT RAMIFITNS. “IT WAS ME LEAVG THAT REALLY END OUR IENDSHIP,” SHE SAID OF THE IEND WHO FIRST BROUGHT HER TO HILLSONG. “I DIDN’T GET THE SENSE HE WAS GOG TO E AROUND TO ANYTHG I WAS GOG TO SAY.”CEASRE’S ARTICLE EXPERIENCED A RURGENCE ON TWTER THIS WEEK, AND SHE’S FIELDG MSAG OM CURRENT AND FORMER HILLSONG PARISHNERS OFFERG SIAR EXPERIENC. SHE NO LONGER FEELS ALONE HER RISTANCE TO HILLSONG BUT IS TRATED THAT PRATT AND OTHER CELEBRI WON’T NDIDLY DISCS THE CHURCH’S HOMOPHOBIA. IT’S A SENTIMENT ECHOED BY JABS, WHO LEFT THE 2017 HILLSONG CONFERENCE NVCED HE WOULDN’T RETURN TO THE CHURCH. HE DON’T HOLD ANY RENTMENT TOWARD GOMEZ—WHO PENNED A LETTER TO THE LGBT MUNY FOR BILLBOARD 2017—OR PRATT’S ASSOCIATNS WH THE CHURCH. HE JT WANTS THEM TO ADDRS S NOT-SO-SECRETIVE HISTORY. REPRENTATIV FOR PRATT, GOMEZ AND ZOE CHURCH DID NOT RETURN REQUTS FOR MENT. “THIS CHURCH HAS A PROBLEM WH ME. IT’S OK IF THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF VIEW,” HE SAID. “WE’RE GIVG THEM A CHANCE TO TELL WHAT THEY BELIEVE, AND BY THEM NOT TAKG THAT CHANCE, ’S BASILLY THEM TELLG THEY DON’T BELIEVE AS HUMAN BEGS AND WHO WE ARE.” JOSEPH LONGO
• MEGACHURCH PASTOR SIGNALS SHIFT TONE ON GAY MARRIAGE
• CARL LENTZ ON HOW HILLSONG CHURCH IS BEG ‘GAY WELG’ WHOUT PROMISG THEIR NVICTNS

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

HILLSONG CHURCH WAS FOUNDED IN 1983 BY OUR SENIOR PASTORS, BRIAN AND BOBBIE HOUSTON AND IN ALL THOSE YEARS PASTOR BRIAN HAS BEEN A VOCAL OPPONENT OF GAY CONVERSION THERAPY AND HAS MADE IT CLEAR TO OUR PASTORS THAT WE DO NOT SUPPORT THAT APPROACH. Whether be their sleazy rendn of Silent Night durg Christmas, their posg of a nearly naked man on stage at a women’s nference, s ver-ups of pedophile pastors, havg openly homosexual worship lears, fendg abortn, plag about the ath penalty, or the fact that celebri love them bee they “don’t teach that book wh Mos and stuff, ” one thg is for sure, Hillsong is an outright dangero threat to church around the world. 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.

GAY COUPLE AT CENTER OF HILLSONG CONTROVERSY SAY THEY'VE BEEN 'OPEN AND FORTHRIGHT' ABOUT RELATNSHIP 'FROM THE GET-GO'

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. 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.

HILLSONG'S BRIAN HOTON 'CORRECTS' REPORT THAT 'OPENLY GAY COUPLE' LEADS NYC CHURCH CHOIR, INSISTS STANCE ON HOMOSEXUALY 'ABSOLUTELY' HAS NOT CHANGED

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. 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.

SHAMEFUL HISTORY OF ANTI-GAY MEGACHURCH HILLSONG AS DISGRACED FOUNR RIGNS AMID MISNDUCT CLAIMS

Of urse, Hillsong isn’t anti-LGBTQ — “we are an clive Christian church that lov, valu and wel all people, regardls of their background, ethnicy, beliefs, valu, or personal inty” — says the church who allowed open homosexuals to lead their choir. Not only do Hillsong now openly affirm homosexuals, they also hold Roman Catholic mass, have sleazy rendns of Silent Night durg Christmas, pose a nearly naked man on stage at a women’s nference, ver-up pedophile pastors, fend abortn, pla about the ath penalty, and the reason celebri love them is bee they “don’t teach that book wh Mos and stuff, ”. Hillsong Church was found 1983 by our Senr Pastors, Brian and Bobbie Hoton and all those years Pastor Brian has been a vol opponent of gay nversn therapy and has ma clear to our pastors that we do not support that approach.

Hillsong Church is a Pentestal ngregatn found Atralia by anti-gay marriage pastor Brian Hoton.

The church has faced accatns that referred LGBT members to unrgo gay ‘nversn’ therapy, as reported by The Daily Beast.

HILLSONG'S BRIAN HOTON ON GAY MARRIAGE: 'I BELIEVE THE WRGS OF PL ARE CLEAR ON THIS SUBJECT'

One gay teen, Alex, was a member of Hillsong church until he qu 2008 after the suggtn for nversn therapy. “Gay people need to know that when they go to Hillsong, they have to go to the back of the b, ” Alex said. However, Hillsong has sce disavowed the gay ‘nversn’ therapy programm, jog dozens of proment medil anisatns around the globe who have nmned the harmful and effective practice.

GAY EX-HILLSONG MEMBERS SPEAK OUT AGAST CHRIS PRATT’S CHURCH: ‘THEY DON’T BELIEVE US AS HUMAN BEGS’HUMAN RIGHTSCHRIS PRATT FEND HIS EVANGELIL CHURCH AGAST ELLEN PAGE’S ‘ANTI-LGBTQ’ ACCATN, BUT FORMER HILLSONG SUPPORTERS SAY THEY FELT ‘SHUNNED.’JOSEPH LONGOUPDATED FEB. 18, 2019 7:47PM EST / PUBLISHED FEB. 15, 2019 10:21PM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY LYNE LUCIEN/THE DAILY BEASTON A NOVEMBER 2017 NIGHT DOWNTOWN LOS ANGEL, SELENA GOMEZ TEARFULLY REUNTED HER JOURNEY TO BEG “A CHILD OF GOD” ONT OF A ROOM FULL OF FELLOW EVANGELIL CHRISTIANS. SHE READ ALOUD A SELF-ADDRSED LETTER, SHARG THE DAY SHE SAT A CHURCH SERVICE WH A IEND AND FELT THE END TO A OF “FALLG AND TRYG, HURTG AND QUTNG.” CLIFFORD JABS SAT THE DIENCE AT THE MICROSOFT THEATER WH A CLOSE IEND OF HIS OWN. HE’D TRAVELED OM NEW YORK TO ATTEND HILLSONG CHURCH’S ANNUAL NFERENCE, AS A RELIG NFIRMATN OF SORTS. HE’D STARTED ATTENDG HILLSONG SERVIC NEW YORK LS THAN A YEAR AGO. THE MORN MIC AND LIVELY PASTORS SATISFIED HIS SPIRUAL YEARNGS A WAY HE HADN’T FELT SCE CHILDHOOD.LISTENG TO ONE OF HIS FAVORE SGERS SPEAK, JABS, WHO IS GAY, HAD A SUDN REALIZATN. “I’M NOT HEARG ANYTHG ABOUT THE LGBTQ POPULATN,” HE SAID, QUICKLY PICKG UP HIS PHONE TO GOOGLE “HILLSONG CHURCH LGBTQ.” SCROLLG THROUGH THE ONSLGHT OF NEGATIVE PRS, HE SAT SHOCKED AND WAED FOR SOMEONE ON STAGE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LGBTQ MUNY. NO ONE DID. “IN THE ABSENCE OF NOTHG BEG SAID, ADDN TO THE HISTORY, I REALIZED THAT THIS CHURCH WAS NOT FOR ME,” HE RELLED. JABS IS JT ONE OF SEVERAL FORMER HILLSONG CHURCHGOERS AND MIC FANS REVISG THEIR EXPERIENC—MOSTLY NEGATIVE—THIS WEEK ON SOCIAL MEDIA THE WAKE OF ELLEN PAGE CRICIZG CHRIS PRATT’S ASSOCIATN WH THE “ANTI-LGBTQ” CHURCH. PRATT ATTENDS LOS ANGEL’ ZOE CHURCH, A BRANCH OF THE SOCIAL-MEDIA SAVVY HILLSONG FAY EVANGELIL CHURCH TREE. ZOE CHURCH HAS NOT OFFICIALLY E OUT AGAST THE LGBTQ MUNY, THOUGH S PASTOR PRODUCED A FILM THAT EQUATED HOMOSEXUALY WH “SEXUAL BROKENNS.” PRATT FEND HIS PARISH ON INSTAGRAM AGAST PAGE’S CLAIMS, CG THEIR SUPPORT AFTER HIS DIVORCE OM ACTRS ANNA FARIS. “IT IS WHAT I HAVE SEEN THEM DO FOR OTHERS ON UNTLS OCSNS REGARDLS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATN, RACE OR GENR,” HE WROTE.HOWEVER, AS THE DAILY BEAST PREVLY REPORTED, PARENT CHURCH HILLSONG HAS A LENGTHY HISTORY OF GAY NVERSN THERAPY, AND REFG LEARSHIP ROL TO LGBTQ PEOPLE. A REPRENTATIVE FOR HILLSONG CLED TO MENT ON THE CHURCH’S CURRENT LGBTQ BELIEFS, STEAD REFERRG TO GLOBAL SENR PASTOR BRIAN HOTON’S 2015 BLOG TLED, “DO I LOVE GAY PEOPLE?” FOLLOWG BACKLASH AFTER THE FIRG OF JOSH CANFIELD, A GAY MAN WHO SERVED AS HILLSONG’S NYC CHOIR DIRECTOR, OVER HIS SEXUALY, HOTON WROTE, “HILLSONG CHURCH WEL ALL PEOPLE BUT DO NOT AFFIRM ALL LIFTYL. PUT CLEARLY, WE DO NOT AFFIRM A GAY LIFTYLE AND BEE OF THIS WE DO NOT KNOWGLY HAVE ACTIVELY GAY PEOPLE POSNS OF LEARSHIP, EHER PAID OR UNPAID.” THE NEWS ME AS A SHOCK TO MANY WHO DIDN’T EXPECT HOMOPHOBIA WH THE MORN, HIGH-TECH CHURCH. BUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WRER CLARKISHA KENT ALREADY KNEW WHERE THEY STOOD ON HER MUNY. SHE’D DONE HER REARCH A FEW YEARS EARLIER. “I DIDN’T KNOW, BEG A YOUNG QUEER, WHAT THEIR ACTUAL MSAG WERE,” SAID KENT, WHO BEGAN HER VTIGATN AS A UNIVERSY OF CHIGO UNRGRAD 2012. “HILLSONG IS A VERY GOOD STUDY ON HOW TO PACKAGE BIGOTRY.”WHILE NEVER AN OFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE HILLSONG CHURCH, KENT WAS A VOTED FAN OF HILLSONG UNED, ONE OF THREE BANDS THAT PRISE THE CHURCH’S MIC BRANCH. SHE FIRST HEARD THE BAND AT THE NONNOMATNAL 2009 ACQUIRE THE FIRE CHRISTIAN YOUTH NFERENCE NASHVILLE. ATTENDG WH HER BAPTIST TEEN MISTRY GROUP, KENT WAS ENRAPTURED BY HILLSONG UNED’S MOODY, GUAR-DRIVEN TAKE ON CHRISTIAN SONGS AND STAGE “SET UP LIKE A EAK’ BEYONCé NCERT.” THEY BEME PART OF HER DAILY PLAYLIST AS A TEEN. BUT AFTER HEADG OFF TO THE UNIVERSY OF CHIGO, KENT ME OUT AS BISEXUAL AND STARTED REARCHG HILLSONG’S STANCE ON LGBTQ ISSU. SHE QUICKLY LOST FAH A BAND THAT ONCE MA HER FEEL ACCEPTED. “THEY’RE NOT GOG TO PUT ANTI-GAY THEIR LOVE SONGS. THEY’RE SMART FOR THAT, BUT WE GOT TO BE SMARTER,” KENT, WHOSE TWTER THREAD CRIQUG HILLSONG AND PRATT WENT VIRAL EARLIER THIS WEEK, EXPLAED. EVER SCE HILLSONG NYC’S SENR PASTOR CARL LENTZ JOED JT BIEBER’S ENTOURAGE 2017, MEDIA OUTLETS ROUTELY VER THE INSTAGRAM-IENDLY EVANGELIL CHURCH BUT ONLY OCSNALLY EXPLORE THEIR NOT-SO-PICTURQUE PAST. IN AUGT 2018, THE CUT OUTLED THE MANY CELEBRY NNECTNS TO EVANGELIL PASTORS OM THE KARDASHIANS AND VO CHURCH’S RICH WILKERSON TO CHRIS PRATT AND ZOE CHURCH’S CHAD VEACH.IN THE PIECE, WRER LEA CEASRE—WHO INTIFI AS STRAIGHT—RE-EXAMED HER TIME ATTENDG HILLSONG NYC FOUR YEARS EARLIER. “I THOUGHT I HAD MOVED ON WH MY LIFE. THIS WASN’T A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE MY LIFE,” CEASRE SAID. “NO ONE HAD OPENLY E OUT TO ME THERE, BUT I HAD SOME IENDS WHO WANTED TO JO THAT WERE GAY. IT WAS THIS WEIRD THG WHERE I ULDN’T VE THEM OR TALK ABOUT .”CEASRE, TIRED OF READG LARGELY POSIVE, CELEBRY-FOCED ARTICL ON THE CHURCH, WROTE A PERSONAL SAY FOR THE OUTLE SEPTEMBER 2018 ABOUT LEAVG BEHD THE “RETROGRA VALU” OF HILLSONG. SHE LLED THE EXPERIENCE LARGELY POSIVE, APPRECIATG THE NGREGATN’S RACIAL DIVERSY AND MUNY SERVICE. BUT SHE ULDN’T STOMACH THE “SHADY AND DISGENUO” FOC ON CELEBRY WHILE BEG “SHUNNED” FOR QUTNG THEIR FOC ON TRADNAL MARRIAGE. HER PARTURE WASN’T WHOUT RAMIFITNS. “IT WAS ME LEAVG THAT REALLY END OUR IENDSHIP,” SHE SAID OF THE IEND WHO FIRST BROUGHT HER TO HILLSONG. “I DIDN’T GET THE SENSE HE WAS GOG TO E AROUND TO ANYTHG I WAS GOG TO SAY.”CEASRE’S ARTICLE EXPERIENCED A RURGENCE ON TWTER THIS WEEK, AND SHE’S FIELDG MSAG OM CURRENT AND FORMER HILLSONG PARISHNERS OFFERG SIAR EXPERIENC. SHE NO LONGER FEELS ALONE HER RISTANCE TO HILLSONG BUT IS TRATED THAT PRATT AND OTHER CELEBRI WON’T NDIDLY DISCS THE CHURCH’S HOMOPHOBIA. IT’S A SENTIMENT ECHOED BY JABS, WHO LEFT THE 2017 HILLSONG CONFERENCE NVCED HE WOULDN’T RETURN TO THE CHURCH. HE DON’T HOLD ANY RENTMENT TOWARD GOMEZ—WHO PENNED A LETTER TO THE LGBT MUNY FOR BILLBOARD 2017—OR PRATT’S ASSOCIATNS WH THE CHURCH. HE JT WANTS THEM TO ADDRS S NOT-SO-SECRETIVE HISTORY. REPRENTATIV FOR PRATT, GOMEZ AND ZOE CHURCH DID NOT RETURN REQUTS FOR MENT. “THIS CHURCH HAS A PROBLEM WH ME. IT’S OK IF THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF VIEW,” HE SAID. “WE’RE GIVG THEM A CHANCE TO TELL WHAT THEY BELIEVE, AND BY THEM NOT TAKG THAT CHANCE, ’S BASILLY THEM TELLG THEY DON’T BELIEVE AS HUMAN BEGS AND WHO WE ARE.” JOSEPH LONGO

Acrdg to Metro, Abi, a 25-year-old Christian who joed Hillsong London a year ago, says she is “absolutely not anti-LGBT” but she acknowledg that Hillsong is fundamentally agast “a gay liftyle. The Atralian pastor, and founr of the church, Brian Hoton, wrote a blog which he clarifi his personal posn on homosexual members of his church. In a blog tled “Do I Love Gay People?, ” Hoton attempts to volise his views on gay members of his Hillsong Church ngregatn.

But Hoton also wrote that he holds “to tradnal Christian thought on gay liftyl and gay marriage.

Related: Ellen Page isn’t fished yet, slams Chris Pratt over antigay church yet another tweet. ” — for which the answer seems to be, “Y, as long as we don’t talk about the gay stuff. Put clearly, we do not affirm a gay liftyle and bee of this we do not knowgly have actively gay people posns of learship, eher paid or unpaid.

MEGACHURCH PASTOR SIGNALS SHIFT TONE ON GAY MARRIAGE

For starters, Hillsong views homosexualy as a “liftyle” stead of a sexual orientatn and an inty — suggtg that same-sex attractn is as much a nsc cisn as, say, a swger liftyle. The phrase ‘gay liftyle’ is ed to nigrate lbians, gay men, and bisexuals suggtg that their orientatn is a choice and therefore n and should be ‘cured.

Related: Young gay man kicked out of church for ‘embracg the homosexual liftyle’. Even more distrsg is Hoton’s straight-up claratn that “actively gay people” nnot hold learship posns at Hillsong Church. Sure, Hillsong might “open s doors” to gay and bi people, but not all doors, seems.

| (Photo: The Christian Post/Stt Liu)The two gay men at the center of a ntroversy regardg their volvement wh popular and fluential Hillsong Church sist they have been open about their relatnship om the very begng, and "have been nversatn wh Hillsong NYC's lead pastors regardg the church's non-LGBT affirmg stance. ""The drama that is unfoldg at the moment all revolv around the fact that we have been heavily volved our church, Hillsong NYC, " reads a public statement wrten by Josh Canfield and Reed Kelly, the gay uple highlighted a viral blog post cril of their volvement wh the megachurch. "Geofey Grir, a Christian mister, published a viral blog post on Hillsong NYC's openly gay and engaged members, Josh Canfield and Reed Kelly, on Sunday, Augt 2.

CARL LENTZ ON HOW HILLSONG CHURCH IS BEG ‘GAY WELG’ WHOUT PROMISG THEIR NVICTNS

| (Photo: Google Pl)The gay uple, who are engaged, go on to refer to their "openns and very public appearance together" on the CBS realy show "Survivor" as the reason for their "nversatn wh Hillsong NYC's lead pastors regardg the church's non-LGBT affirmg stance.

"Josh Canfield and Reed Kelly, two openly gay men who are also engaged, published a statement onle about their relatnship wh Hillsong Church New York Cy, on Augt 7, 2015. | (Photo:)"Hillsong has many mp around the world, many plac where gay marriage is now legal, so this has been an ongog dialogue tryg to figure out how and where we, as part of the LGBT muny, f .