Gay Couple at Center of Hillsong Controversy Say They've Been 'Open and Forthright' About Relatnship 'From the Get-Go' | Church & Mistri News

Contents:

• GAY, EX-HILLSONG LEAR SPEAKS ABOUT EXPERIENCE WH UNCLEAR POLICY
• HILLSONG'S BRIAN HOTON 'CORRECTS' REPORT THAT 'OPENLY GAY COUPLE' LEADS NYC CHURCH CHOIR, INSISTS STANCE ON HOMOSEXUALY 'ABSOLUTELY' HAS NOT CHANGED
• MEGACHURCH PASTOR SIGNALS SHIFT TONE ON GAY MARRIAGE
• HILLSONG'S BRIAN HOTON ON GAY MARRIAGE: 'I BELIEVE THE WRGS OF PL ARE CLEAR ON THIS SUBJECT'
• HILLSONG CHURCH LEAR BRIAN HOTON SAYS GAY PEOPLE ARE WELE
• WHY GAY COUPLE BARRED OM LEADG WORSHIP WILL KEEP SGG WH HILLSONG CHURCH
• GAY COUPLE AT CENTER OF HILLSONG CONTROVERSY SAY THEY'VE BEEN 'OPEN AND FORTHRIGHT' ABOUT RELATNSHIP 'FROM THE GET-GO'
• NTEB ARTICLE ON GAY CHOIR LEAR AT HILLSONG NYC FORC RPONSE FROM BRIAN HOTON
• HILLSONG NEW YORK PASTOR CARL LENTZ: 'WE HAVE A LOT OF GAY MEN AND WOMEN OUR CHURCH AND I PRAY WE ALWAYS DO'

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

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. 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.

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

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.

Viral Blog Post, Cg PlayBill and New York Tim, Claims Two Engaged Gay Men Are Involved MistryPastor Brian Hoton appears on stage durg Hillsong's 2014 nference New York Cy at The Theater at Madison Square Garn. | (Photo: Hillsong Church)Hillsong Church foundg pastor Brian Hoton sists that his Sydney-based megachurch has ma "absolutely no change" regard to s "stance on homosexualy and gay marriage, " after a cril blog post claimed that two engaged openly gay men were leadg Hillsong NYC's choir. 4, 2015, "rrectg" reports that two openly gay men were leadg the choir at Hillsong NYC.

MEGACHURCH PASTOR SIGNALS SHIFT TONE ON GAY MARRIAGE

| (Photo: The Christian Post)"There has been absolutely no change to Hillsong Church's stance on homosexualy and gay marriage, " Hoton wrote on his Twter acunt early Tuday morng.

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

In the statement, Hoton challeng the recent blog post about two gay men who attend Hillsong's NYC lotn. Hoton wr:"I wish to rrect reports that Hillsong church has 'an openly gay uple directg a choir' at our New York Cy mp.

Hillsong's posn on homosexualy and gay marriage has not changed and is nsistent wh Scripture.

HILLSONG CHURCH LEAR BRIAN HOTON SAYS GAY PEOPLE ARE WELE

"The statement lks to a blog post wrten by Hoton also published Tuday, which the megachurch pastor explas that gays are wele to attend, worship and "participate as a ngregatn member" at Hillsong church. However, Hoton adds that gay worshippers nnot "take an active learship role. "Hoton stat this blog post, which is clud full at the end of this article:"I also live by my own nvictns, and hold to tradnal Christian thought on gay liftyl and gay marriage.

WHY GAY COUPLE BARRED OM LEADG WORSHIP WILL KEEP SGG WH HILLSONG CHURCH

The wrgs of the apostle Pl scripture on the subject of homosexualy are also clear, as I have mentned prev public statements.

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. " Grir, also intified as a street preacher, published his now viral blog post on Hillsong NYC's openly gay and engaged members, Josh Canfield and Reed Kelly, on Sunday, Aug. His post, shared more than 55, 000 tim via Facebook, Grir wr:"Josh Canfield and Reed Kelly are a proudly-out homosexual uple who preach the gospel of the LGBT Agenda.

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

"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. "The New York Tim noted two months prr, an October 2014 article suggtg that Hoton had "shifted" on gay marriage, that "some of Hillsong's church appear to be open to gays and lbians. Hillsong Senr Pastor weighs on the mor the New York Cy Camp has a practicg gay choir director.

NTEB ARTICLE ON GAY CHOIR LEAR AT HILLSONG NYC FORC RPONSE FROM BRIAN HOTON

In se you hadn't seen the headl, there's a story floatg around that claims Hillsong Church has an openly gay uple directg a choir at the New York cy mp.

Many tomatilly believed the story, perhaps bee Hillsong Senr Pastor Brian Hoton once said he would not take a public stand on gay issu and New York mp pastor Carl Lentz waffled on Hoton is clarifyg what happened.

"Hillsong's posn on homosexualy and gay marriage has not changed and is nsistent wh Scripture. The ments by Brian Hoton, the senr pastor of Hillsong, immediately attracted ncern om the right and applse om the left, g as many Christian nomatns and ngregatns are stgglg wh how to rpond to rapid expansn of gay rights and legalizatn of same-sex marriage. Lears of Hillsong have been avoidg nmnatn of homosexualy for some time, and the pastor of Hillsong’s New York Cy mp, Carl Lentz, has cled to take a public posn on same-sex marriage.

HILLSONG NEW YORK PASTOR CARL LENTZ: 'WE HAVE A LOT OF GAY MEN AND WOMEN OUR CHURCH AND I PRAY WE ALWAYS DO'

Hoton’s ments, ma at a news nference Thursday New York, were strikg for their assertn that Christian church have ed pa for some gay Christians, and for their suggtn that the issue of same-sex marriage is not settled. Hoton, as he has done sermons, efully noted the experience of gay children growg up Christian church, sayg that some feel rejected by their youth pastors or even their parents, and that as a rult, some young people “lerally are prsed, maybe even suicidal, and, sadly, oftentim grow up to hate the church bee they feel that the church rejected them. “It’s very easy to rce what you thk about homosexualy to jt a public statement, and that would keep a lot of people happy, ” he said, “but we feel at this pot, that is an ongog nversatn, that the real issu people’s liv are too important for jt to rce down to a y or no answer a media outlet.