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 ON GAY MARRIAGE: 'I BELIEVE THE WRGS OF PL ARE CLEAR ON THIS SUBJECT'
• SHAMEFUL HISTORY OF ANTI-GAY MEGACHURCH HILLSONG AS DISGRACED FOUNR RIGNS AMID MISNDUCT CLAIMS
• GAY COUPLE AT CENTER OF HILLSONG CONTROVERSY SAY THEY'VE BEEN 'OPEN AND FORTHRIGHT' ABOUT RELATNSHIP 'FROM THE GET-GO'
• CARL LENTZ ON HOW HILLSONG CHURCH IS BEG ‘GAY WELG’ WHOUT PROMISG THEIR NVICTNS
• WHY GAY COUPLE BARRED OM LEADG WORSHIP WILL KEEP SGG WH HILLSONG CHURCH

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. The statement also says that learship oppos “gay nversn therapy. 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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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 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. 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.

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

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.

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. Brian Hoton: ‘Do I Love Gay People? 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.