Lance Goodall 8th Nov 2015
“WE HAVE BEEN OPEN AND FORTHRIGHT ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP FROM THE GET-GO.” – REED KELLY
It is clear by now that Hillsong Church is at the crossroads.
In recent days the two Broadway boyfriends, Reed Kelly and Josh Canfield, (now engaged ) have met up in Los Angeles, and have been attending Hillsong LA there.
We brought you the story of how it came to light that Hillsong NYC church Gay Choir story, had had openly-out gay members leading the worship choir during their services.
The story immediately went viral, and caused Hillsong to issue not one but two statements of denial. They did acknowledge that, yes, the two openly-gay men has been active in worship choir leadership for a number of years, but they have insisted that they were “unaware” that they were gay and were “completely taken by surprise” at the revelation. But this is more ‘public relations’.
Hillsong senior Pastor Brian Houston in an interview with ABC News Nightline in 2014, is quite aware and seemingly pleased as he freely admits to knowing that Hillsong NYC church has 2 openly-gay men leading the choir.
So how it is possible that in his denial statement, Hillsong repeatedly states that were “unaware” of what was going on?
Here is the official Hillsong denial:
Several months ago when one of our choir directors made an unexpected public statement regarding his engagement to a man who sometimes sang in the choir, it was a complete surprise to us as well. It is my understanding that they have not been involved in an active leadership or ministry role since.
But evidentially, this has been going on openly at Hillsong NYC for about 8 years.
Why Hillsong chose to lie about it when it was so well know remains a mystery that hopefully they will explain at some point.
” We are a gay welcoming church but we are not a church that affirms a gay lifestyle.” Brian Houston, August 4, 2015
Pastor Carl Lentz was advised that the couple were getting engaged, which triggered a series of personal and ongoing conversations.
“At Hillsong, we take the time to sit at the table and hear their pain and hear their journey and consider their thinking,” Lentz told me. “And when it is time to speak back to these people, we can speak from a place of observation, not condemnation.”Lentz said his priority was to “make sure that these amazing guys weren’t mishandled or mistreated.”
But this is just the half of it…..
The website gonola.com reported back in March 2015 that both performers were chosen to lead the 2015 Pride Festival in New Orleans.
“Josh Canfield and Reed Kelly are both Broadway performers from New York and contestants from the most recent Survivor series – Survivor: San Juan del Sur – Blood vs. Water. Dubbed by their fans as the “Broadway Boyfriends,” these two became engaged in January and have now been chosen to lead the New Orleans Pride Festival in 2015.”
Photo courtesy: Canfield and Kelly
The same website reported that the couple were to attend.
“The celebrity grand marshals of this year’s New Orleans Pride parade – Reed Kelly and his partner, Josh Canfield – experienced New Orleans Pride through a variety of events, all with sweeping themes of tolerance and warmth.”
In an interview they talk of attending the parade;
Canfield: “We are known as the Broadway Boyfriends from Survivor. Now we’re the Broadway fiances.”
Kelly: “We’re thrilled to be down here as the Celebrity Grand Marshals for New Orleans Gay Pride Festival.”
Canfield: “We’d both been here before, like younger: under the drinking age, under 21. You get a different experience as a child in New Orleans than you do as an adult, so we were both really looking forward to this trip just to enjoy what New Orleans really has to offer. And Reed’s also really into architecture and things like that.”
Saturday, June 20th, 7PM: Pride Parade
Winding through the Historic French Quarter and ending at Washington Square Park
Led by the Broadway Boyfriends and Survivor: Blood vs.Water stars, Reed Kelly and Josh Canfield as Celebrity Grand Marshals (official parade route at NewOrleansPrideFestival.com)
The Pride Festival New Orleans was held on June 19-21. This was 2 months before the sensational story of the choirboys in leadership.
Brian may not affirm a gay lifestyle, but he clearly allows a gay lifestyle, by not rebuking the gay lifestyle.
It seems Brian’s favourite bible verse is;
“See no evil, hear no evil,speak no evil” – Ostrich 10:17
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. — Gal 6:7
God is not mocked, but clearly Hillsong is!
Other sources:
https://whatshotn.wordpress.com/2015/08/
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