The founding pastor of the Hillsong Church in Australia says gay people are welcome in the congregation but are forbidden from holding senior positions.
Brian Houston posted a lengthy blog entitled 'Do I love gay people?' on Wednesday in response to news that an openly gay couple - Survivor contestants Josh Canfield and Reed Kelly - lead a church choir at Hillsong's New York church.
Mr Houston wrote that the church 'welcomes gay people to worship' but will not 'affirm their lifestyle'
The issue comes months after Mr Houston publicly acknowledged multiple child sexual abuse allegations against his father, Frank, with whom he founded the church and who died before the claims were fully investigated.
'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,' Mr Houston said in a statement.
'It is my understanding that they have not been involved in an active leadership or ministry role since. That said, we still love them.'
Houston also posted a tweet and his lengthy blog post to clarify the matter.
'There has been absolutely no change to Hillsong Church's stance on homosexuality and gay marriage,' Houston wrote on Twitter early Tuesday morning.
In his blog post, Mr Houston's said homosexuals do not hold leadership positions in the church and that the church's position on the issue would not be influenced by the legalisation of gay marriage
Hillsong Church welcomes ALL people but does not affirm all lifestyles. Put clearly, we do not affirm a gay lifestyle and because of this we do not knowingly have actively gay people in positions of leadership, either paid or unpaid,' Mr Houston writes.
Mr Houston last year spoke publicly for the first time about allegations of child sexual abuse against his father, Frank Houston, who co-founded Hillsong with his son.
Frank Houston was forced out of Hillsong in 2000 after allegations of child sex abuse were raised. He died in 2004 before any allegations were proved.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse heard evidence of the claims of abuse by Frank Houston, including from a victim who said he was abused as a seven-year-old boy.
Brian Houston gave evidence at the royal commission and made clear in an interview in October 2014 he now believed his father was a child sex abuser, but strongly denied trying to cover up the abuse when he first learned of it.
'At that time I thought there was one (victim) and then 12 months later it became clear there were many more, mostly in New Zealand,' Mr Houston told Today in October last year.
'It's obvious he was a paedophile and that his behaviour was repetitive and it seems like it was over a period of a decade in the late sixties and seventies,' he said
He said having to confront his paedophile father after he was told of his alleged sexual abuse was the 'worst day of my life'.
'The shock of finding out was just horrendous… and having to confront him in my office was even more horrendous and it was such a difficult moment,' he said.
'I think he knew it was about to come down on him – he was depressed and stressed. He knew he had done it and he admitted he had done it.
'It was tense and I did what I had to do which was suspending his ministry credential and he never preached again from that day.'
'So if you are gay, are you welcome at Hillsong Church? Of course! You are welcome to attend, worship with us, and participate as a congregation member with the assurance that you are personally included and accepted within our community,' Mr Houston wrote.
'But, can you take an active leadership role? No.'
The Australian pastor acknowledges that 'this one statement alone is upsetting to people on both sides of the discussion, which points to the complexity of the issue for churches all over the world'.
Mr Houston insists he has friends that are gay, comparing this to Jesus have friends that 'brought him condemnation.'
'I care about people and yes, I do have gay friends. Jesus had many friends that angered the religious and brought him condemnation from many,' wrote Mr Houston.
He writes that he respects each individual's right to make their own decisions about their lives.
'Everyone has the right to pursue happiness,' writes Mr Houston.
'I may totally disagree with you on what will bring people true happiness, and I will always teach and preach according to my personal convictions and the teachings of scripture, but I cannot make other people's choices for them – and quite frankly, I don't want to
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