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

Contents:

• HILLSONG'S BRIAN HOTON ON GAY MARRIAGE: 'I BELIEVE THE WRGS OF PL ARE CLEAR ON THIS SUBJECT'
• 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
• LEAD ARTIST OF HILLSONG UNITED FDS JEN HATMAKER’S AFFIRMATN OF GAY MARRIAGE “REHG”
• 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'

| (Photo: Hillsong Church)Hillsong Church pastor Brian Hoton has issued a statement specifyg his posn on marriage and homosexualy after a news outlet reported that he "won't take (a) public posn on LGBT issu. "The news report me after Hoton brought up the topics of homosexualy and same-sex marriage at a prs nference held on Thursday wh New York Cy media, on the ocsn of Hillsong Conference beg held at Madison Square Garn. "Nowhere my answer did I dimish biblil tth or suggt that I or Hillsong Church supported gay marriage, " he adds.

My personal view on the subject of homosexualy would le up wh most tradnally held Christian views. | (Photo: The Christian Post/Stt Liu)The qutn that rulted Hoton's remarks on homosexualy centered on how his church tri to rema relevant. In his rponse, the Hillsong pastor offered homosexual marriage as an issue that is a challenge for some church.

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

Now wh homosexual marriage legalized, and church for generatns, they hold a set of beliefs around what they believe the Word of God, the Bible says. Hoton, prompted by The New York Tim' qutn for clarifitn, went on to emphasize that, for him, qutns about his posn on homosexualy were "too important for to rce" down to a "y or no answer a media outlet. " His remarks were siar to those prevly ma by Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz, who has cled to take a public "yea or nay" posn on New York Tim published a report on Hoton's remark unr the headle "Megachurch Pastor Signals Shift Tone on Gay Marriage, " and not that the Hillsong Church pastor's "spokman said on Friday that the pastor personally agreed wh tradnal Christian teachg on sexualy.

Read more about the prs nference here: Hillsong Pastor Brian Hoton Hammered Wh Qutns About Sex Abe, Homosexualy, Fanc at Start of NYC Conference. 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.

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

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.

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

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. 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.

LEAD ARTIST OF HILLSONG UNITED FDS JEN HATMAKER’S AFFIRMATN OF GAY MARRIAGE “REHG”

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. | (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.

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

""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. | (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.