“Jesus was in the thick of an era where homosexuality,
just like it is today, was widely prevalent,” Lentz told CNN. “And I’m still
waiting for someone to show me the quote where Jesus addressed it on the record
in front of people. You won’t find it because he never did.”
Lentz’s wife, Laura, chimed in: “It’s not
our place to tell anyone how they should live. That’s their journey.”
No doubt Mohler and other conservative
evangelicals will find such answers disconcerting if not downright dangerous to
what they believe is the Biblical position. If the leaders of Hillsong, one of
the most influential evangelical ministry conglomerates in the world, refuse to
draw lines on these issues, it could influence other churches and pastors to
reconsider their own positions.
And that is why this issue has become a litmus
test for many on the left and right. Because in a moment when so much is at
stake a non-statement statement is, well, quite a statement.
Also see:
'You never forget the moment you find out your
dad's a paedophile': Hillsong's Brian Houston tells of the 'devastating' 10
seconds when he realised his father, Frank, was a paedophile
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2785983/You-never-forget-moment-dad-s-paedophile-Hillsong-s-Brian-Houston-tells-devastating-10-seconds-realised-father-Frank-paedophile.html#ixzz3GadeQ7Zd
October 18, 2014|2:20 pm
(Photo: Hillsong Church)
Pastor
Brian Houston appears on stage during Hillsong's 2014 conference in New
York City at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Hillsong
Church pastor Brian Houston has issued a statement specifying his
position on marriage and homosexuality after a news outlet reported that
he "won't take (a) public position on LGBT issues."
The news report came after Houston brought up the topics of homosexuality and same-sex marriage at a
press conference held on Thursday with New York City media, on the occasion of Hillsong Conference being held at Madison Square Garden.
"I
encourage people not to assume a media headline accurately represents
what I said at a recent press conference," Houston says in a statement
emailed to The Christian Post on Saturday.
"Nowhere in my answer
did I diminish biblical truth or suggest that I or Hillsong Church
supported gay marriage," he adds. "I challenge people to read what I
actually said, rather than what was reported that I said. My personal
view on the subject of homosexuality would line up with most
traditionally held Christian views. I believe the writings of Paul are
clear on this subject."
(Photo: The Christian Post/Scott Liu)
Pastors
Brian Houston and Bobbie Houston of Hillsong Church appear at a press
conference on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014, at The Eventi Hotel in New York
City. The press conference came on the occasion of the Hillsong
Conference being held at Madison Square Garden from Oct. 16-18 in NYC.
The
question that resulted in Houston's remarks on homosexuality centered
on how his church tries to remain relevant. In his response, the
Hillsong pastor offered homosexual marriage as an issue that is a
challenge for some churches. Traditional Christian teachings define
marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
"I think with the
church, the message is sacred but the methods have to change for the
church to stay relevant," said Houston. "And it's challenging. It's
challenging to stay relevant. I mean, if we go to the one big hot topic
maybe for churches ... now with homosexual marriage legalized, and
churches for generations, they hold a set of beliefs around what they
believe the Word of God, the Bible says. All of a sudden in many circles
the church can look like a pariah, because to many people it's so
irrelevant now … So staying relevant is a big challenge. I think it's
more than just singing more contemporary songs and the colors you paint
your walls or whatever."
As CP noted in a previous report,
Hillsong Church has among its 12 global campuses two operating in Los
Angeles and New York City, both diverse and progressive cities where
same-sex marriage is legal.
Houston, prompted by The New York
Times' question for clarification, went on to emphasize that, for him,
questions about his position on homosexuality were "too important for us
to reduce" down to a "yes or no answer in a media outlet." His remarks
were similar to those previously made by Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz,
who has
declined to take a public "yea or nay" position on homosexuality.
The New York Times published a
report on
Houston's remark under the headline "Megachurch Pastor Signals Shift in
Tone on Gay Marriage," and notes that the Hillsong Church pastor's
"spokesman said on Friday that the pastor personally agreed with
traditional Christian teaching on sexuality."
The Religion News
Service published in its report (under the headline "Hillsong's Brian
Houston says church won't take public position on LGBT issues"):
Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary president Albert Mohler declared from his
blog in June of 2014, "There is no third way on [same-sex issues]."
But
Brian Houston, pastor of Hillsong Church, a global family of
congregations comprising more than 30,000 weekly attendees and millions
of worship music album sales, apparently disagrees with Mohler. At
least, for now.
The
RNS report goes
on to state that after the Times' request for clarification, "...
Houston would not offer a definitive answer, instead saying that it was
'an ongoing conversation' among church leaders and they were "on the
journey with it.'"