Carl Lentz on how Hillsong Church is beg ‘gay welg’ whout promisg their nvictns

Contents:

• GAY, EX-HILLSONG LEAR SPEAKS ABOUT EXPERIENCE WH UNCLEAR POLICY
• 'THE GAY-WELG CHURCH': WHAT WE N LEARN OM CARL LENTZ'S LATT LABELG OF HILLSONG NYC
• CARL LENTZ ON HOW HILLSONG CHURCH IS BEG ‘GAY WELG’ WHOUT PROMISG THEIR NVICTNS
• HILLSONG NEW YORK PASTOR CARL LENTZ: 'WE HAVE A LOT OF GAY MEN AND WOMEN OUR CHURCH AND I PRAY WE ALWAYS DO'
• HILLSONG NYC'S GAY UPLE SAY THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN 'OPEN AND FORTHRIGHT' ABOUT RELATNSHIP
• 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
• HILLSONG'S BRIAN HOTON 'CORRECTS' REPORT THAT 'OPENLY GAY COUPLE' LEADS NYC CHURCH CHOIR, INSISTS STANCE ON HOMOSEXUALY 'ABSOLUTELY' HAS NOT CHANGED

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.

'THE GAY-WELG CHURCH': WHAT WE N LEARN OM CARL LENTZ'S LATT LABELG OF HILLSONG NYC

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.

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

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.

This week, he took up a notch by clarg Hillsong NYC as a "gay-welg church. While his church holds to a tradnal view of sexualy that do not affirm “gay liftyl” and believ marriage n only be between a man and woman, the church is managg to draw an “creasg number” of LGBT people to their servic. Hillsong’s Senr Pastor, Brian Hoton, has said that his church is “gay welg” even though they are not gay affirmg.

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

What ncerns me is that seems like more people are ncerned about our “method, ” spe the fact ’s workg, than they are the young gay teens that are killg themselv, and the LGBT muny at large that has found zero refuge our “church. Regardg whether Hillsong Church allows “openly gay people to serve at church”.

HILLSONG NYC'S GAY UPLE SAY THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN 'OPEN AND FORTHRIGHT' ABOUT RELATNSHIP

For Lentz, homosexualy is jt not somethg he feels the need to go on about. "J was the thick of an era where homosexualy, jt like is today, was wily prevalent.

Other pastors are happy to go ont of the meras to share their views about the Bible's take on homosexualy, but Lentz - who's managed to lk Christian wh ol like few other church lears - don't thk a "media moment" is the bt place to wa to the issue. What he will say, though, is that he is more than happy for gay people to be part of his flock.

"We have a lot of gay men and women our church and I pray we always do. Two young, gay mil theatre stars known as the "Broadway boyiends" have fend their years of service wh the Hillsong church muny New Canfield and Reed Kelly beme a gay celebry uple after they featured on the US realy TV show Survivor.

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

"After the story was picked up months later by the bloggg muny, Hillsong senr pastor Brian Hoton issued a statement assertg a nservative stance on the gay said: "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 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 . "Several days ago some facels, end-of-days blogger cid to attack and our church for allowg to serve when we are 'unrepentantly embracg s' as homosexuals.

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

)"He regretted that this had now forced Hillsong to reaffirm globally s stance as a non-LGBT-affirmg stutn and ban gays om scribed as "tratg" and "cshg" but said he was not surprised. "If we, as gays, pack up and leave every church we feel ls than weled or where we feel spirual ristance, how will there ever be growth?

The flip si of this is: why would we, as part of the gay muny who have been primarily outst for all our liv, willgly subject ourselv to more margalisatn? "After we advertently and untentnally beme public reprentativ for gay Christiany, we feel like we have been lled and have a rponsibily to ntue to stand thentilly our tth - pecially wh the church fay that we ll home, Hillsong NYC - we are seekg the Lord, we are Christian, we are gay, and this is our journey.