Hillsong NYC's gay uple say they have always been 'open and forthright' about relatnship | ChristianToday Atralia

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• 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 NYC'S GAY UPLE SAY THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN 'OPEN AND FORTHRIGHT' ABOUT RELATNSHIP
• LEAD ARTIST OF HILLSONG UNITED FDS JEN HATMAKER’S AFFIRMATN OF GAY MARRIAGE “REHG”
• HILLSONG'S BRIAN HOTON WARNS OF 'WI-RANGG RAMIFITNS' ATRALIA'S GAY MARRIAGE VOTE
• ANTI-GAY HILLSONG MEGACHURCH LEAR CHARGED WH VERG UP FATHER’S CHILD SEX ABE
• 12 BIG-NAME CELEBRI WHO HAVE BEEN SPOTTED AT THE ‘TRENDY’ AND ANTI-GAY HILLSONG CHURCH
• GAY MARRIAGE TIMELE

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

"All Atralians should be a part of this procs, not jt a select few, " he than $122 ln worth of paper ballots will be sent to Atralians askg them whether gay marriage should be after the untry's lg party refed to vote on a gay marriage bill. 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.

"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.

"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.

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

Sydney's Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher warned that already across the world, where gay marriage has been legalised, 'those who believe tradnal marriage have been harassed or erced to plyg wh the new view of marriage', he told The Atralian, acrdg to The Tablet. Central Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist Church wh a clear policy on marriage, sexualy, and genr found s Beliefs sectn:Any form of sexual immoraly, such as adultery, fornitn, homosexualy, bisexual nduct, btialy, ct, pornography or any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement wh one’s blogil sex, is sful and offensive to orr to prerve the functn and tegry of the church as the lol Body of Christ and to provi a Biblil role mol to church members and the muny, all persons employed by the church any pacy, or who serve as volunteers, shall abi by and agree to this Statement on Marriage and Sexualy and nduct themselv acrdgly.... ”When a person tweeted at them to say, “surprised to hear you are supportg homophobic and anti-Islamic preachg, ” referencg their performance wh Graham, the band rpond:Don’t mistake willgns to stand on the same stage as agreement his whole worldview.

A gospel that is not for absolutely everyone is not Good News and isn’t J’ msageWhen a person asked Rend Collective on Twter to clarify what they meant when they tweeted that the church should be a “welg fay, ” askg if that wele clud openly gay people, Rend Collective did not directly answer the qutn. Hillsong and nversn therapy – what really happened - ABBI Skip to ntentHillsong and nversn therapy – what really happenedHomeConversn therapyHillsong and nversn therapy – what really happened View Larger Image Hillsong and nversn therapy – what really happenedFULL ARTICLE How, when and why Hillsong banned ‘ex-gay’ referrals HERE Do you know about the recent Hillsong drama?

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

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. Hoton and his wife Bobbie were close iends wh Sy Rogers, who before his ath was an “ex-gay” lear and former print of the famo Exod Internatnal, which at the time was the world’s largt promoter of the discreded belief that gay people n “overe” their sexualy through God.

In the first statement, he affirmed that Hillsong held to the clear scriptural teachg on the subject of homosexualy and that marriage was the unn of a man and woman, also statg that while gays were loved and weled his church, practicg homosexuals uld not participate any learship or mistry role. In the send statement, he tegorilly nied the Inter mors, sayg that the church was pletely surprised when they learned about this uple beg a homosexual relatnship and that to his knowledge, they had not sce been volved any mistry or learship role the church. In fact, as I watched the Huffgton Post terview, tryg to put the bt nstctn on and rootg for Pastor Lentz, I said to myself, “If I was this terviewer, I would absolutely believe that homosexual upl would be weled whout rtrictn to the life and mistry of his church.

Hillsong is, spe s welg ‘ol J’ image, a nservative Christian church, and promot the fundamental beliefs of nservative Christian iology: to name a few, that J is the savur, the Bible is the word of God, baptism is a means of salvatn, the prospery gospel (more on this a moment), life begs at nceptn (th, abortn is murr), creatnism is the orig of mankd, and God’s word “do not affirm a gay liftyle”. An vtigative piece om earlier this year by TooFab revealed that a gay man (also a mor celebry through a role on the realy show Survivor and his time as Broadway star), Josh Canfield, directed the choir of Hillsong NYC and helped to tablish alongsi Pastor Carl Lentz, who he was out to.

HILLSONG'S BRIAN HOTON WARNS OF 'WI-RANGG RAMIFITNS' ATRALIA'S GAY MARRIAGE VOTE

In 2014, however, Canfield was kicked out of his learship role at Hillsong NYC due to his stt wh his boyiend (a member of the choir he directed) on Survivor, and Pastor Hoton published a statement that refed to name Canfield (llg him only ‘a gay man’) and claimg that Canfield had lied to the church about his sexualy and was not out to anyone, let alone Carl Lentz. But we n see how Canfield was treated the aftermath, as well as read another story om the same piece where Ben Fenlon, a gay man, says he was pared to an addict or pedophile when he me out to a pastor at Hillsong, and together wh Hillsong’s perfectly clear views and history of homophobia, there’s ltle to suggt that Canfield’s story is an outlier. However, as the church has stated that the mps were wrong and ed immense sufferg for gay members of their ngregatn, I will lk you to the Daily Beast exposé that vers the meat of this part of Hillsong’s history, and stead have foced on that which Hillsong has refed to apologise for.

ANTI-GAY HILLSONG MEGACHURCH LEAR CHARGED WH VERG UP FATHER’S CHILD SEX ABE

” Asi om this statement beg grossly homophobic and a gross regurgatn of homophobic talkg pots, also works to dismiss Frank’s abe by llg sexual abe wh lastg psychologil trma ‘takg tratns [om beg gay and closeted] out on children’. As pastors leave en mass and former members ntue to e forward wh abe allegatns agast megachurch Hillsong, -founr Bobbie Hoton’s 2003 dbook, “Kgdom Women Love Sex, ” has e unr h scty, as have her and the church’s allegedly entrenched sexist and homophobic beliefs.

Bobbie’s words only apply to straight upl as, “Hillsong mands pulsory heterosexualy, ” Maddox wrote, claimg that “The church has n urs to ‘cure’ homosexuals; lbian clatns were ‘treated’ the Hillsong-aligned Mercy Mistri; and Hillsong regularly hosts gut speakers om the ternatnal ‘ex-gay’ movement. “I’ll always remember walkg out of the service where Brian Hoton told a story about [his son and dghter--law] Joel and Esther’s relatnship, and he was like, ‘ would be the biggt shame if my son was a homosexual, ’ nonchalantly ont of thoands of people.

Homosexualy and Christiany don’t have the bt track rerd — no shocker there — but one church particular, while ’s hardly the most rabidly anti-gay of the bunch, has a reputatn for beg “trendy and hip” that beli s gross, anti-gay leangs. "The New York State Court of Appeals clar that a lbian or gay uple livg together for a least ten years n be nsired a fay for purpos of rent ntrol protectn, the first time a state's hight urt l that a gay uple n be lled a fay... The California Bar Associatn urg that lbian and gay marriage be legally regnized and Seattle, San Francis and other ci, 'partners' regulatns extendg certa protectns and rights to unmarried upl, straight and gay, are adopted.

12 BIG-NAME CELEBRI WHO HAVE BEEN SPOTTED AT THE ‘TRENDY’ AND ANTI-GAY HILLSONG CHURCH

"Jt as Hawaii's high urt seemed poised to allow same-sex marriag, gay activists have seen their visns of legal weddgs on the beach of Mi disappear as voters approved Constutnal Amendment 2, givg the legislature power to 'rerve marriage to oppose-sex upl. "Rabbis belongg to the biggt and most liberal branch of Judaism the Uned Stat have voted to regnise the partnerships of gay and lbian Central Conference of Amerin Rabbis, which is part of the Jewish Reform movement, has agreed to sanctn relig ceremoni for same-sex Print of the Conference, Rabbi Charl Kroloff, said that gay and lbian people served the regnn and rpect due to people created the image of God.

GAY MARRIAGE TIMELE

The upl are barred om adoptg children overseas bee of potential objectns om untri that do not accept gay the new legislatn, all referenc to genr laws erng matrimony and adoptn will be leted favor of the ntral-genr term, partner. "Before the lg [Supreme Court lg that laws makg gay sex a crime were unnstutnal], supporters the Hoe [US Hoe of Reprentativ] of a nstutnal amendment that would more formally rtrict marriage to the unn of a man and a woman were havg trouble attractg sponsors. "A unty clerk issued marriage licens Friday to at least 15 gay upl, some of whom then exchanged vows outsi the urthoe, as more same-sex upl led up for a chance to tie the Mexi law f marriage as a ntract between ntractg parti but do not mentn genr.