Contents:
- JT BIEBER HAS THE BT RPONSE AFTER BEG CALLED "GAY"
- JT BIEBER SPARKS GAY SPECULATN AFTER ACCG PASTOR RICH WILKERSON OF CHEATG
- WHY I LEFT HILLSONG, JT BIEBER’S BELOVED EVANGELIL CHURCH THE CELEBRY-FILLED CHURCH PH RETROGRA VALU ON S PARISHNERS. LEA CEASRE SEP—13—2018 09:49AM EST I’LL NEVER FET WHEN MY IEND ANDREW BROUGHT ME TO MY FIRST HILLSONG CHURCH SERVICE THE WTER OF 2013. WE WERE BOTH SOPHOMOR AT MANHATTAN COLLEGE, WHERE I SLOWLY STARTED TO PH AWAY THE CHRISTIAN FAH I GREW UP WH. BY THE TIME I WENT TO HILLSONG, I NSIRED MYSELF AGNOSTIC.ANDREW (NOT HIS REAL NAME) HAD BEEN VG ME TO THIS “HIP” CHURCH THAT HE JOED YEARS AGO. KNOWG THAT I HAD STRAYED OM RELIGN AND WAS ALSO ALG WH MENTAL-HEALTH ISSU, HE SISTED THAT HILLSONG ULD REALLY “SAVE” ME. TWICE A WEEK, HE WENT DOWNTOWN TO IRVG PLAZA, WHERE THE CHURCH HELD SERVIC ON WEDNDAYS AND SUNDAYS. I WAS IALLY HANT TO GO WH HIM, BUT WAS SUCH A DARK PLACE THAT I EVENTUALLY GAVE .WALKG TO IRVG PLAZA’S 1,200-PERSON ARENA THAT DAY, I WAS PHED TO A MOSH P OF HIPSTERS. THEY LOOKED EXTRATERRTRIAL WH THEIR HANDS FLOATG THE AIR, SGG HILLSONG’S SIGNATURE DREAM-POP-WANNABE-ROCK TUN UNISON. “YOU’LL GET ED TO ,” ANDREW SAID.BEFORE I KNEW , I WAS SGG ALONG WH MY PALMS RAISED, TOO. I MEMORIZED THE LYRICS OF “CORNERSTONE,” ONE OF THE CHURCH’S MOST POPULAR BALLADS, WHICH ARE RERD AND SUNG BY THE CHURCH’S OFFICIAL BAND, HILLSONG UNED. (THE BAND HAS MORE THAN 1 LN FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM, MORE THAN 30 LN STREAMS ON SPOTIFY, AND IS ONE MA REVENUE STREAM FOR THE CHURCH, REPORTEDLY EARNG ABOUT $100 LN PER YEAR.) VIEW THIS POST ON INSTAGRAMLOST PHOTO FIL/THROWBACKTHURSDAY/FLASHBACKIDAY/SBACKSATURDAY? SPECIAL THANKS TO @LEVILKO WHO NOT TOO LONG AGO TOOK TO A ROCK QUARRY MONTANA TO SHOOT GUNS AND SRED ME TO ATH ...MEANWHILE, THE @EASYMONEYSNIPER IS QUIETLY REHABBG AND PREPPG FOR WHAT WILL BE A MONSTER OF A SEASON FOR HIM..#WATCHTHISSPACE GOG THROUGH THE VALLEYS THIS LIFE: UNAVOIDABLE.. LEARNG WHILE YOU ARE THEM? INVALUABLE..#OCCUPYALLSTREETS #DONTWASTEAMOMENTA POST SHARED BY CARL LENTZ (@RLLENTZ) ON JUN 26, 2015 AT 10:35PM PDTSCE HILLSONG WAS FOUND SYDNEY, ATRALIA 1983, THE CHURCH HAS BEE AN EVANGELIL EMPIRE. IRVG PLAZA EVENTUALLY BEME TOO SMALL A VENUE FOR SERVIC NEW YORK CY; THE CHURCH NGREGAT EVERY SUNDAY AT HAMMERSTE BALLROOM, WHICH N HOLD 8,000 PARISHNERS (THOANDS MORE ATTEND SERVIC AT THE CHURCH��S 20-PL LOTNS). HILLSONG’S LEAD PASTOR NEW YORK CY, CARL LENTZ, IS PERHAPS THE CHURCH’S MOST-FAMO FIGURE. HE HAS MORE THAN 600,000 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS AND N BE SEEN HANGG OUT WH NBA STAR KYRIE IRVG AND THE NEWLY ENGAGED JT BIEBER AND HAILEY BALDW. BIEBER’S CLOUT HAS BEEN A HUGE BON FOR HILLSONG, BUT HE’S NOT THE ONLY CELEBRY WHO HAS BEEN VOLVED WH THE CHURCH — HAS BEEN VISED BY SISTERS JENNER, KEV DURANT, NICK JONAS, VANSA HUDGENS, AND SELENA GOMEZ.ULTIMATELY, MY PROBLEM WH HILLSONG WASN’T S SIZE, S CULTISH ATMOSPHERE, OR S RELIANCE ON CELEBRY RELATNSHIPS. IT WAS THE ASPIRATNAL WEALTH AND CLASSISM THAT RAN RAMPANT THE CHURCH’S MUNY — TO ME, WAS EVANGELIL ELISM. UNR A VENEER OF OLNS AND PROGRSIVISM, THE CHURCH IS A RETROGRA STUTN, PHG TRADNAL VALU ON S WI-EYED, AND OFTEN EP-POCKETED, MEMBERS. VIEW THIS POST ON INSTAGRAMLOVE THE TWO SPEAKG OF LOVE...A WISE MAN NAMED PL ONCE SAID..."LOVE NEVER GIV UP. LOVE R MORE FOR OTHERS THAN FOR SELF. LOVE DON’T WANT WHAT DON’T HAVE. LOVE DON’T STT, DON’T HAVE A SWELLED HEAD, DON’T FORCE SELF ON OTHERS, ISN’T ALWAYS “ME FIRST,” DON’T FLY OFF THE HANDLE, DON’T KEEP SRE OF THE SS OF OTHERS, DON’T REVEL WHEN OTHERS GROVEL, TAK PLEASURE THE FLOWERG OF TTH, PUTS UP WH ANYTHG, TSTS GOD ALWAYS, ALWAYS LOOKS FOR THE BT, NEVER LOOKS BACK, BUT KEEPS GOG TO THE END. LOVE NEVER DI." IF SOMEBODY SAYS THEY "LOVE YOU" BUT YOU DON'T SEE THESE THINGS? GRD YOUR HEART! IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED LOVE LIKE THIS? BT THG YOU N EVER DO, IS SHARE W/ AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU N... ANOTHER WISE MAN NAMED CHRISTOPHER WALLACE SAID "SPREAD LOVE, 'S THE BROOKLYN WAY.." MAY BE OUR WAY, DAY BY DAY.. #OCCUPYALLSTREETS #AVIATORSMOUNTUP #LONGERTHETRAFFICLONGERTHEPTNA POST SHARED BY CARL LENTZ (@RLLENTZ) ON MAR 28, 2017 AT 4:44PM PDTI REMEMBER ONE SERVICE DURG WHICH A HOMELS MAN HAPPENED TO BE STANDG A FEW ROWS BEHD ME. PASTOR CARL POTED HIM OUT DURG THE SERMON TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE CHURCH OPENED S DOORS TO EVERYONE, REGARDLS OF SOCIAL CLASS, RACE, ETC. BUT WAS HARD FOR ME TO TAKE SERLY THIS KD OF MSAGE OM LENTZ, WHO REPORTEDLY HAS A WORTH OF $2 LN AND LIK TO FLNT HIS SIGNER THREADS AND GOLD CHAS ON INSTAGRAM.ACRDG TO COSMOPOLAN, HILLSONG PASTORS DO NOT TAKE A “VOW OF POVERTY” — MEANG THEY N STILL EARN A SALARY AND HAVE LAVISH LIV, PARED TO OTHER PARISH AT WHICH PASTORS ARE MORE TO ASCETICISM THAN NSPICUO NSUMPTN. I WAS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF HILLSONG-ERS WHO WERE STUNTS AND WORKG MULTIPLE JOBS, AND WE SHARED ANXIETY ABOUT BEG ABLE TO AFFORD LIVG AN EXPENSIVE CY AND DITG TIME TO CHURCH EVENTS. STILL, ON WEEKENDS SOME OF THEM ELECTED TO TO “VOLUNTEER” AT CHURCH RATHER THAN WORK. (I WILL SAY THAT HILLSONG WAS EXEMPLARY THEIR MISSN OUTSI THE CHURCH, MOSTLY THROUGH LOL IATIV LIKE SERVG THE ROCKAWAY BEACH MUNY AFTER HURRINE SANDY.)IN MY FIRST YEAR AT HILLSONG, I STARTED HANGG OUT WH THE BLØCK, THE CHURCH’S “YOUNG ADULT MUNY.” FROM THE OUTSET, I FOUND HARD TO F . THERE WAS PRSURE TO ATTEND THE FRIDAY NIGHT “HANGS,” DURG WHICH NEWERS AND HILLSONG VETERANS WOULD NVENE, TALK ABOUT J, AND TAKE SELFI.AS A FULL-TIME STUNT WORKG MULTIPLE JOBS, I DIDN’T HAVE TIME FOR THE “HANGS.” ANDREW WOULD EQUENTLY GUILT-TRIP ME FOR NOT GOG, TEXTG ME “BUMMER…” OR “WE MISSED YA…”. AND THE MORE VOLVED THAT YOUTH MEMBERS BEME WH THE CHURCH, THE CLOSER THEY GOT TO THE PASTORS – OR STARDOM, WHICH BEGAN TO FEEL LIKE THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF GOG TO THE CHURCH THE FIRST PLACE. VIEW THIS POST ON INSTAGRAMOWN THE MOMENT! IT’S BEEN AN AWOME FEW DAYS. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS AND IM EXCED AND ENURAGED TO SEE THIS BOOK START TO VA MANY DIFFERENT SPAC.. I WROTE THIS BOOK WH THAT TENTN. TO BE ABLE TO HAND TO A PASTOR, OR A PRISONER. SOMEBODY A RPORATE OFFICE, OR SOMEBODY STG A URTSI OFFICE. I HOPE I FD LAYG AROUND EVERYWHERE!! ONE OF THE MA THEM THIS BOOK IS MY BELIEF THAT WE TLY N “OCCUPY ALL STREETS”. THAT WHO WE ARE IS NOT ULTIMATELY FED BY “WHAT WE DO”. WHEN YOU OWN THAT MENTALY, YOU DON’T NEED A TLE, A NEW POSN, OR A “STAT” LEVEL TO BE SECURE. BEE YOU ALREADY HAVE SECURY! NOW, YOU N BRING VALUE TO ANY TLE, YOU N BRG PASSN TO ANY POSN, BEE YOU KNOW YOUR PURPOSE. TAKE A MOMENT AND CHECK OUT #OWNTHEMOMENT … LIFE IS WAY TO SHORT TO WA FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO GIVE YOU “PERMISSN” TO TAKE GROUND. YOUR TIME IS RIGHT NOW… #OCCUPYALLSTREETS #OWNTHEMOMENT #LKTHEBA POST SHARED BY CARL LENTZ (@RLLENTZ) ON NOV 3, 2017 AT 11:11AM PDTI WAS ALSO TAKEN ABACK BY HOW HILLSONG PHED MARRIAGE ONTO S YOUNG MEMBERS. IN MY YOUTH GROUP, MOST OF THE TWENTY-SOMETHGS WERE VIRGS AND A SH TO GET MARRIED. I WAS SURPRISED WHEN SOME OF THE MEMBERS THOUGHT MY SEXUAL CHOIC WERE HERETIL AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO BE BAPTIZED AGA, JT BEE I WAS HAPPILY SEXUALLY ACTIVE AND OPEN ABOUT . (I CLED THE VATN TO BE BAPTIZED, EVEN THOUGH BAPTISMS ARE A HUGE SPECTACLE AT HILLSONG. EVERY OTHER WEEK PASTORS WILL “BAPTIZE” DOZENS OF PEOPLE AT THE GANSEVOORT HOTEL’S ROOFTOP POOL. IT’S KD OF LIKE HILLSONG-IATN. MANY HILLSONG-ERS WILL ATTEND, SGG WORSHIP SONGS TO SUPPORT THE NEWLY BAPTIZED.)MARRIAGE PREPARATN AND VAR MARRIAGE-RELATED WORKSHOPS ARE TWO OF THE MOST-EQUENTLY NDUCTED EVENTS AT THE CHURCH. IT’S TYPIL FOR A HILLSONG-ER TO ABSTA OM SEX UNTIL MARRIAGE. THE PASTORS OFTEN TALK ABOUT THEIR RECKLS DAYS OF PREMARAL SEX BEFORE THEY FOUND J SAYG THAT ENGAGG SUCH IS A TEMPTATN OM THE VIL.MORE SIDLY, THE CHURCH’S PRSURE TO GET MARRIED WAS STRICTLY HETERONORMATIVE. THIS WAS A CLEAR MSAGE G OM THE CHURCH’S UPPER ECHELONS. THE CHURCH FOUND SELF MOORED NTROVERSY OVER THIS 2014, WHEN S FOUNR, THE SYDNEY-BASED BRIAN HOTON, RELEASED A STATEMENT REGARDG HIS OPN ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AFTER WAS REVEALED THAT THERE WAS AN OPENLY GAY UPLE ON THE CHOIR STAFF. HOTON SAID HE DID NOT “DIMISH BIBLIL TTH OR SUGGT THAT I OR HILLSONG CHURCH SUPPORTED GAY MARRIAGE.”HOTON LATER PUBLISHED A BLOG POST ON HILLSONG’S WEBSE TLED “DO I LOVE GAY PEOPLE?” “HILLSONG CHURCH WEL ALL PEOPLE BUT DO NOT AFFIRM ALL LIFTYL,” HE WROTE. “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.” IT’S NO E GETTG ANYONE THE CHURCH TO TALK ABOUT THIS, MOST WILL CLE IF YOU ASK THEM. A STOCK RPONSE IS SOMETHG ALONG THE L OF “EVERYONE IS WELE AT HILLSONG, BUT THE CHURCH DO NOT NDONE GAY MARRIAGE OR ABORTN.” FURTHER, MORS OF GAY NVERSN THERAPY WH THE CHURCH DID NOT EASE MY NCERNS ABOUT S STANCE NCERNG NON-HETEROSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS.ALMOST TWO YEARS AFTER MY FIRST HILLSONG EXPERIENCE, I CID TO LEAVE THE CHURCH. WHEN I TRIED TO RAISE MY NCERNS ABOUT WH MY YOUTH GROUP MEMBERS, THEY’D SHG THEIR SHOULRS. I KNEW THAT MY OUTSPOKENNS WASN’T WELED. ONCE I OFFICIALLY LEFT, MY HILLSONG PEERS STOPPED TALKG TO ME AND SOME EVEN UNFOLLOWED ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA. PEOPLE WHO QUTN AND LEAVE THE CHURCH ARE NSIRED RENEGAS.IN A WAY, I THK THAT I REJECTED HILLSONG AS MUCH AS REJECTED ME. I DIDN’T F THEIR VERSN OF A NTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN, EVEN 2018. I DON’T REGRET THE CISN TO WALK AWAY OM A CHURCH THAT R SO MUCH ABOUT FAME MORE THAN FAH. LEA CEASRE IS A JOURNALIST NEW YORK CY. THE OUTLE
JT BIEBER HAS THE BT RPONSE AFTER BEG CALLED "GAY"
You n hear Mike ll Jt gay as Jt s at the mera.
But awomely, he ma sure that his fans know that beg lled gay is no way a bad thg, ptng the vio: "I'm not gay but even if I was that's not an sult. " It might seem like a small thg JB did, but go a long way stoppg "gay" om beg ed as an sult, when 's really jt someone's sexual orientatn and not a synonym for bad or stupid.
JT BIEBER SPARKS GAY SPECULATN AFTER ACCG PASTOR RICH WILKERSON OF CHEATG
As the "Baby" hmaker sound like a disgntled ex, some people uldn't help thkg that he and the pastor were gay lovers. "Yeah they were gay, " one suggted. One fan asks the sger how the service went and whether his church is acceptg of the gay muny.
“Isn’t your church like really clive, like, of the gay muny? Everybody is so homophobic, ” adds the fan. Sger Trey Pearson poted out that the church forced a gay uple to step down om their worship team.
WHY I LEFT HILLSONG, JT BIEBER’S BELOVED EVANGELIL CHURCH THE CELEBRY-FILLED CHURCH PH RETROGRA VALU ON S PARISHNERS. LEA CEASRE SEP—13—2018 09:49AM EST I’LL NEVER FET WHEN MY IEND ANDREW BROUGHT ME TO MY FIRST HILLSONG CHURCH SERVICE THE WTER OF 2013. WE WERE BOTH SOPHOMOR AT MANHATTAN COLLEGE, WHERE I SLOWLY STARTED TO PH AWAY THE CHRISTIAN FAH I GREW UP WH. BY THE TIME I WENT TO HILLSONG, I NSIRED MYSELF AGNOSTIC.ANDREW (NOT HIS REAL NAME) HAD BEEN VG ME TO THIS “HIP” CHURCH THAT HE JOED YEARS AGO. KNOWG THAT I HAD STRAYED OM RELIGN AND WAS ALSO ALG WH MENTAL-HEALTH ISSU, HE SISTED THAT HILLSONG ULD REALLY “SAVE” ME. TWICE A WEEK, HE WENT DOWNTOWN TO IRVG PLAZA, WHERE THE CHURCH HELD SERVIC ON WEDNDAYS AND SUNDAYS. I WAS IALLY HANT TO GO WH HIM, BUT WAS SUCH A DARK PLACE THAT I EVENTUALLY GAVE .WALKG TO IRVG PLAZA’S 1,200-PERSON ARENA THAT DAY, I WAS PHED TO A MOSH P OF HIPSTERS. THEY LOOKED EXTRATERRTRIAL WH THEIR HANDS FLOATG THE AIR, SGG HILLSONG’S SIGNATURE DREAM-POP-WANNABE-ROCK TUN UNISON. “YOU’LL GET ED TO ,” ANDREW SAID.BEFORE I KNEW , I WAS SGG ALONG WH MY PALMS RAISED, TOO. I MEMORIZED THE LYRICS OF “CORNERSTONE,” ONE OF THE CHURCH’S MOST POPULAR BALLADS, WHICH ARE RERD AND SUNG BY THE CHURCH’S OFFICIAL BAND, HILLSONG UNED. (THE BAND HAS MORE THAN 1 LN FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM, MORE THAN 30 LN STREAMS ON SPOTIFY, AND IS ONE MA REVENUE STREAM FOR THE CHURCH, REPORTEDLY EARNG ABOUT $100 LN PER YEAR.) VIEW THIS POST ON INSTAGRAMLOST PHOTO FIL/THROWBACKTHURSDAY/FLASHBACKIDAY/SBACKSATURDAY? SPECIAL THANKS TO @LEVILKO WHO NOT TOO LONG AGO TOOK TO A ROCK QUARRY MONTANA TO SHOOT GUNS AND SRED ME TO ATH ...MEANWHILE, THE @EASYMONEYSNIPER IS QUIETLY REHABBG AND PREPPG FOR WHAT WILL BE A MONSTER OF A SEASON FOR HIM..#WATCHTHISSPACE GOG THROUGH THE VALLEYS THIS LIFE: UNAVOIDABLE.. LEARNG WHILE YOU ARE THEM? INVALUABLE..#OCCUPYALLSTREETS #DONTWASTEAMOMENTA POST SHARED BY CARL LENTZ (@RLLENTZ) ON JUN 26, 2015 AT 10:35PM PDTSCE HILLSONG WAS FOUND SYDNEY, ATRALIA 1983, THE CHURCH HAS BEE AN EVANGELIL EMPIRE. IRVG PLAZA EVENTUALLY BEME TOO SMALL A VENUE FOR SERVIC NEW YORK CY; THE CHURCH NGREGAT EVERY SUNDAY AT HAMMERSTE BALLROOM, WHICH N HOLD 8,000 PARISHNERS (THOANDS MORE ATTEND SERVIC AT THE CHURCH��S 20-PL LOTNS). HILLSONG’S LEAD PASTOR NEW YORK CY, CARL LENTZ, IS PERHAPS THE CHURCH’S MOST-FAMO FIGURE. HE HAS MORE THAN 600,000 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS AND N BE SEEN HANGG OUT WH NBA STAR KYRIE IRVG AND THE NEWLY ENGAGED JT BIEBER AND HAILEY BALDW. BIEBER’S CLOUT HAS BEEN A HUGE BON FOR HILLSONG, BUT HE’S NOT THE ONLY CELEBRY WHO HAS BEEN VOLVED WH THE CHURCH — HAS BEEN VISED BY SISTERS JENNER, KEV DURANT, NICK JONAS, VANSA HUDGENS, AND SELENA GOMEZ.ULTIMATELY, MY PROBLEM WH HILLSONG WASN’T S SIZE, S CULTISH ATMOSPHERE, OR S RELIANCE ON CELEBRY RELATNSHIPS. IT WAS THE ASPIRATNAL WEALTH AND CLASSISM THAT RAN RAMPANT THE CHURCH’S MUNY — TO ME, WAS EVANGELIL ELISM. UNR A VENEER OF OLNS AND PROGRSIVISM, THE CHURCH IS A RETROGRA STUTN, PHG TRADNAL VALU ON S WI-EYED, AND OFTEN EP-POCKETED, MEMBERS. VIEW THIS POST ON INSTAGRAMLOVE THE TWO SPEAKG OF LOVE...A WISE MAN NAMED PL ONCE SAID..."LOVE NEVER GIV UP. LOVE R MORE FOR OTHERS THAN FOR SELF. LOVE DON’T WANT WHAT DON’T HAVE. LOVE DON’T STT, DON’T HAVE A SWELLED HEAD, DON’T FORCE SELF ON OTHERS, ISN’T ALWAYS “ME FIRST,” DON’T FLY OFF THE HANDLE, DON’T KEEP SRE OF THE SS OF OTHERS, DON’T REVEL WHEN OTHERS GROVEL, TAK PLEASURE THE FLOWERG OF TTH, PUTS UP WH ANYTHG, TSTS GOD ALWAYS, ALWAYS LOOKS FOR THE BT, NEVER LOOKS BACK, BUT KEEPS GOG TO THE END. LOVE NEVER DI." IF SOMEBODY SAYS THEY "LOVE YOU" BUT YOU DON'T SEE THESE THINGS? GRD YOUR HEART! IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED LOVE LIKE THIS? BT THG YOU N EVER DO, IS SHARE W/ AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU N... ANOTHER WISE MAN NAMED CHRISTOPHER WALLACE SAID "SPREAD LOVE, 'S THE BROOKLYN WAY.." MAY BE OUR WAY, DAY BY DAY.. #OCCUPYALLSTREETS #AVIATORSMOUNTUP #LONGERTHETRAFFICLONGERTHEPTNA POST SHARED BY CARL LENTZ (@RLLENTZ) ON MAR 28, 2017 AT 4:44PM PDTI REMEMBER ONE SERVICE DURG WHICH A HOMELS MAN HAPPENED TO BE STANDG A FEW ROWS BEHD ME. PASTOR CARL POTED HIM OUT DURG THE SERMON TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE CHURCH OPENED S DOORS TO EVERYONE, REGARDLS OF SOCIAL CLASS, RACE, ETC. BUT WAS HARD FOR ME TO TAKE SERLY THIS KD OF MSAGE OM LENTZ, WHO REPORTEDLY HAS A WORTH OF $2 LN AND LIK TO FLNT HIS SIGNER THREADS AND GOLD CHAS ON INSTAGRAM.ACRDG TO COSMOPOLAN, HILLSONG PASTORS DO NOT TAKE A “VOW OF POVERTY” — MEANG THEY N STILL EARN A SALARY AND HAVE LAVISH LIV, PARED TO OTHER PARISH AT WHICH PASTORS ARE MORE TO ASCETICISM THAN NSPICUO NSUMPTN. I WAS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF HILLSONG-ERS WHO WERE STUNTS AND WORKG MULTIPLE JOBS, AND WE SHARED ANXIETY ABOUT BEG ABLE TO AFFORD LIVG AN EXPENSIVE CY AND DITG TIME TO CHURCH EVENTS. STILL, ON WEEKENDS SOME OF THEM ELECTED TO TO “VOLUNTEER” AT CHURCH RATHER THAN WORK. (I WILL SAY THAT HILLSONG WAS EXEMPLARY THEIR MISSN OUTSI THE CHURCH, MOSTLY THROUGH LOL IATIV LIKE SERVG THE ROCKAWAY BEACH MUNY AFTER HURRINE SANDY.)IN MY FIRST YEAR AT HILLSONG, I STARTED HANGG OUT WH THE BLØCK, THE CHURCH’S “YOUNG ADULT MUNY.” FROM THE OUTSET, I FOUND HARD TO F . THERE WAS PRSURE TO ATTEND THE FRIDAY NIGHT “HANGS,” DURG WHICH NEWERS AND HILLSONG VETERANS WOULD NVENE, TALK ABOUT J, AND TAKE SELFI.AS A FULL-TIME STUNT WORKG MULTIPLE JOBS, I DIDN’T HAVE TIME FOR THE “HANGS.” ANDREW WOULD EQUENTLY GUILT-TRIP ME FOR NOT GOG, TEXTG ME “BUMMER…” OR “WE MISSED YA…”. AND THE MORE VOLVED THAT YOUTH MEMBERS BEME WH THE CHURCH, THE CLOSER THEY GOT TO THE PASTORS – OR STARDOM, WHICH BEGAN TO FEEL LIKE THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF GOG TO THE CHURCH THE FIRST PLACE. VIEW THIS POST ON INSTAGRAMOWN THE MOMENT! IT’S BEEN AN AWOME FEW DAYS. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS AND IM EXCED AND ENURAGED TO SEE THIS BOOK START TO VA MANY DIFFERENT SPAC.. I WROTE THIS BOOK WH THAT TENTN. TO BE ABLE TO HAND TO A PASTOR, OR A PRISONER. SOMEBODY A RPORATE OFFICE, OR SOMEBODY STG A URTSI OFFICE. I HOPE I FD LAYG AROUND EVERYWHERE!! ONE OF THE MA THEM THIS BOOK IS MY BELIEF THAT WE TLY N “OCCUPY ALL STREETS”. THAT WHO WE ARE IS NOT ULTIMATELY FED BY “WHAT WE DO”. WHEN YOU OWN THAT MENTALY, YOU DON’T NEED A TLE, A NEW POSN, OR A “STAT” LEVEL TO BE SECURE. BEE YOU ALREADY HAVE SECURY! NOW, YOU N BRING VALUE TO ANY TLE, YOU N BRG PASSN TO ANY POSN, BEE YOU KNOW YOUR PURPOSE. TAKE A MOMENT AND CHECK OUT #OWNTHEMOMENT … LIFE IS WAY TO SHORT TO WA FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO GIVE YOU “PERMISSN” TO TAKE GROUND. YOUR TIME IS RIGHT NOW… #OCCUPYALLSTREETS #OWNTHEMOMENT #LKTHEBA POST SHARED BY CARL LENTZ (@RLLENTZ) ON NOV 3, 2017 AT 11:11AM PDTI WAS ALSO TAKEN ABACK BY HOW HILLSONG PHED MARRIAGE ONTO S YOUNG MEMBERS. IN MY YOUTH GROUP, MOST OF THE TWENTY-SOMETHGS WERE VIRGS AND A SH TO GET MARRIED. I WAS SURPRISED WHEN SOME OF THE MEMBERS THOUGHT MY SEXUAL CHOIC WERE HERETIL AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO BE BAPTIZED AGA, JT BEE I WAS HAPPILY SEXUALLY ACTIVE AND OPEN ABOUT . (I CLED THE VATN TO BE BAPTIZED, EVEN THOUGH BAPTISMS ARE A HUGE SPECTACLE AT HILLSONG. EVERY OTHER WEEK PASTORS WILL “BAPTIZE” DOZENS OF PEOPLE AT THE GANSEVOORT HOTEL’S ROOFTOP POOL. IT’S KD OF LIKE HILLSONG-IATN. MANY HILLSONG-ERS WILL ATTEND, SGG WORSHIP SONGS TO SUPPORT THE NEWLY BAPTIZED.)MARRIAGE PREPARATN AND VAR MARRIAGE-RELATED WORKSHOPS ARE TWO OF THE MOST-EQUENTLY NDUCTED EVENTS AT THE CHURCH. IT’S TYPIL FOR A HILLSONG-ER TO ABSTA OM SEX UNTIL MARRIAGE. THE PASTORS OFTEN TALK ABOUT THEIR RECKLS DAYS OF PREMARAL SEX BEFORE THEY FOUND J SAYG THAT ENGAGG SUCH IS A TEMPTATN OM THE VIL.MORE SIDLY, THE CHURCH’S PRSURE TO GET MARRIED WAS STRICTLY HETERONORMATIVE. THIS WAS A CLEAR MSAGE G OM THE CHURCH’S UPPER ECHELONS. THE CHURCH FOUND SELF MOORED NTROVERSY OVER THIS 2014, WHEN S FOUNR, THE SYDNEY-BASED BRIAN HOTON, RELEASED A STATEMENT REGARDG HIS OPN ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AFTER WAS REVEALED THAT THERE WAS AN OPENLY GAY UPLE ON THE CHOIR STAFF. HOTON SAID HE DID NOT “DIMISH BIBLIL TTH OR SUGGT THAT I OR HILLSONG CHURCH SUPPORTED GAY MARRIAGE.”HOTON LATER PUBLISHED A BLOG POST ON HILLSONG’S WEBSE TLED “DO I LOVE GAY PEOPLE?” “HILLSONG CHURCH WEL ALL PEOPLE BUT DO NOT AFFIRM ALL LIFTYL,” HE WROTE. “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.” IT’S NO E GETTG ANYONE THE CHURCH TO TALK ABOUT THIS, MOST WILL CLE IF YOU ASK THEM. A STOCK RPONSE IS SOMETHG ALONG THE L OF “EVERYONE IS WELE AT HILLSONG, BUT THE CHURCH DO NOT NDONE GAY MARRIAGE OR ABORTN.” FURTHER, MORS OF GAY NVERSN THERAPY WH THE CHURCH DID NOT EASE MY NCERNS ABOUT S STANCE NCERNG NON-HETEROSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS.ALMOST TWO YEARS AFTER MY FIRST HILLSONG EXPERIENCE, I CID TO LEAVE THE CHURCH. WHEN I TRIED TO RAISE MY NCERNS ABOUT WH MY YOUTH GROUP MEMBERS, THEY’D SHG THEIR SHOULRS. I KNEW THAT MY OUTSPOKENNS WASN’T WELED. ONCE I OFFICIALLY LEFT, MY HILLSONG PEERS STOPPED TALKG TO ME AND SOME EVEN UNFOLLOWED ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA. PEOPLE WHO QUTN AND LEAVE THE CHURCH ARE NSIRED RENEGAS.IN A WAY, I THK THAT I REJECTED HILLSONG AS MUCH AS REJECTED ME. I DIDN’T F THEIR VERSN OF A NTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN, EVEN 2018. I DON’T REGRET THE CISN TO WALK AWAY OM A CHURCH THAT R SO MUCH ABOUT FAME MORE THAN FAH. LEA CEASRE IS A JOURNALIST NEW YORK CY. THE OUTLE
Gay people are wele. We were both sophomor at Manhattan College, where I slowly started to ph away the Christian fah I grew up wh. The church found self moored ntroversy over this 2014, when s founr, the Sydney-based Brian Hoton, released a statement regardg his opn on same-sex marriage after was revealed that there was an openly gay uple on the choir staff.
Hoton said he did not “dimish biblil tth or suggt that I or Hillsong Church supported gay marriage. ”Hoton later published a blog post on Hillsong’s webse tled “Do I Love Gay People? “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.