hey Scotty101…..faaaaaaaabulous of you to come on Friday night……I guess we can take it that you enjoyed it as here you are posting your story. thanks so much for doing that……it is so important I feel for all of us to tell our stories for lots of reasons.

your story reminds me once again how crucial that reaction is when a young gay man or lesbian comes out to their pastor or church leader. I’m glad that for some at Hillsong and other pentecostal churches like Christian City Church we are hearing some positive stories. We have also heard of some tragedies when it hasn’t been handled appropriately and has driven the person further into depression.

I think pastors need to be trained in this area…..and even if they haven’t come to a place of really understanding what homosexuality is really about (ie an orientation not a sin or sickness) …….they still know how to respond in an encouraging and loving way and not one of judgement and condemnation.

hope to see you again soon…..and hear more from you in the forum.

yep…..there are a growing number of gay and lesbian people at Hillsong that have come to accept the fact that they are gay and know that their relationship with God is healthy as well.

its a new day……but still lots of work to do.

Good on you Scott. And yes, avb, I agree. Training for pastors and leaders on how to deal with LGBT people is defiitely needed.

Actually, I was talking to someone the other day and he was explaining to me that even certain pastors have very different ways they handle this issue- obviously within my experience with the counselor telling me that homosexuality is perfectly normal…

to then hear of other members of the same church’s pastoral care team who are willing to refer people to ex-gay programs…

It is strange that no-one steps in over the individual pastors and comes up with some kind of more uniform approach, or procedure or something…

Actually, I was talking to someone the other day and he was explaining to me that even certain pastors have very different ways they handle this issue- obviously within my experience with the counselor telling me that homosexuality is perfectly normal…

to then hear of other members of the same church’s pastoral care team who are willing to refer people to ex-gay programs…

It is strange that no-one steps in over the individual pastors and comes up with some kind of more uniform approach, or procedure or something…

I know of some pastors who suggested that gay guys go and have sex with a prostitute……They were sure that the reason the guy liked guys was because he just hadn’t had sex with a girl yet.

Do you believe this story?

Chrétien- Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂 It is good to know something positive can come out of something for me that was so very negative at the time.

Anthony and Ann Maree- To be honest I can believe it. I think I probably speak for a lot of people in saying that I have definitely been told to… taste and see all that a heterosexual relationship has to offer by someone who meant it. At the time a bible college student, that guy has now gone on to plant a church in Norway.

I think I was reading on here that someone had their own parents who work as pastors offer to hire him a prostitute? I googled this topic also, hoping nothing would come up… of course living in a world with 6 billion people something did come up. A father in Rockhampton has been charged with taking his FOURTEEN year old son to a prostitute, apparently saying that he “wanted to see a used condom”. (http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/story/2009/12/23/dad-accused-of-forcing-son-14-into-sex-with-hooker/)

Sexuality is a lot more than a particular act. I guess I don’t really know how express this yet, but it goes so much deeper than just which ‘bits’ someone likes. By telling people to go and have random hookups or pay someone, it would indicate that these pastors and people view their own sexuality as a series of acts… or maybe they just haven’t really been challenged to consider things like this.

You would think also, that a church would HAVE to have a formal pastoral care system… even if it didn’t say anything about particular theology.. a no prostitute policy would definently be a good start. Like Anthony was saying above, even if they don’t understand homosexuality entirely, responding with love and encouragement… certainly not with “God would like you more if you paid someone for it”. I understand mega-churches are large… but still…

Ben- You are too kind. Thanks for your encouragement and support, it means a lot. It was the similarity in our stories that made me willing to share mine. Please feel free to come say hi if you see me around.