Tag Archives: Ben Gresham

Ben Gresham exposes Houston lying in his media statement

09 Sunday Aug 2015

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BRIAN HOUSTON PROTESTING TOO MUCH

Althought we have exposed him on this issue, Brian Houston has been emphatically trying to convince people that Hillsong Church has not changed its position on same sex issues. He tweeted,

There has been absolutely no change to Hillsong Church’s stance on homosexuality and gay marriage. Statement pending.

Source: Brian Houston, Twitter, https://twitter.com/BrianCHouston/status/628482424591118336, Published 1:27 AM – 4 Aug 2015. (Accessed 06/08/2015.) (Archived.)

In that statement he said,

“Hillsong’s position on homosexuality and gay marriage has not changed and is consistent with Scripture.”

This article will prove through the writing of Ben Gresham (a close gay friend of Brian Houston) that Houston is still following through with his promises to Ben Gresham after his meeting with him back in 2010 to bring changes to Hillsong.

In other words, Brian Houston has been caught lying… again.

hillsong lgbtqi gay homosexualALONG CAME A GRESHAM

Later, Brian Houston tweeted his blog article on Hillsong’s stance towards homosexuality (an article we will review). Ben Gresham and Houston exchanged the following:

Do I love gay people? My thoughts and my heart toward gay people and Hillsong Church. LTL blog:

Source: Brian Houston, Twitter, https://twitter.com/BrianCHouston/status/628576173493108736, Published 7:40 AM – 4 Aug 2015. (Accessed 06/08/2015.)

not an easy subject to write about. Thanks for being clear and upfront so gay ppl know where you stand. So important.

Source: Ben Gresham, Twitter, https://twitter.com/bengresham/status/628659863413919744, Published 1:12 PM – 4 Aug 2015. (Accessed 06/08/2015.)

Thanks Ben. This means so much to me. B.

Source: Brian Houston, Twitter, https://twitter.com/BrianCHouston/status/628661707343171584, Published 1:20 PM – 4 Aug 2015. (Accessed 06/08/2015.)

proof_Twitter-GreshamAndHoustonOverStatement_06-08-2015Ben Gresham decided to write an article about Brian Houston and Hillsong’s latest stance on same sex issues:

Check out my latest blog about recent Hillsong statement on gay people –

Source: Ben Gresham, Twitter, https://twitter.com/bengresham/status/628765865148747776, Published 8:13 PM – 4 Aug 2015. (Accessed 06/08/2015.)

Although Houston protested that “There has been absolutely no change to Hillsong Church’s stance on homosexuality,” Ben Gresham praised Brian Houston and Hillsong for bringing change towards embracing same sex people and same sex issues. In other words, Ben Gresham accidentally exposed Brian Houston of lying once again to the general public in his media statement.

Ben Gresham

Ben Gresham – Met with Brian Houston in 2010 to discuss what changes Hillsong can make over same sex issues.

Remember that Ben thanked Houston for “being clear and upfront” and how Houston thanked him for it, saying, “This means so much to me?” Ben decided to point out the positive changes and developments he saw in his journey and discussion with Hillsong’s Brian Houston in this below article.

Although we have pointed to these changes ourselves, it is good to have Gresham reveal the changes he has seen behind the Hillsong machine in regards to how it has slowly changed it’s stance on same sex issues.

We willhighlight the lines where Gresham exposes how Hillsong CHANGED their stance on same sex issues.

Gresham notes that Hillsong has changed, saying:

  • Hillsong has taken some steps forward in the past few years.
  • The church is now talking about the issue more
  • they no longer support or refer gay people to harmful ‘ex-gay’ or reparative/conversion programs and therapies.
  • the church will allow gay and lesbian people to attend and you won’t be kicked out for having a partner […]

He concludes,

“This is a step forward, no matter how you look at it!”

And he is right. No matter how you look at it, Brian Houston is STILL not calling homosexuality a sin and he is still not using the bible as the ultimate authority.

Gresham writes,

Gay people and Hillsong Church? At last… some clarity

Early this morning, Brian Houston, the Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church, issued a statement in response to the controversy surrounding reports that Hillsong NYC had an engaged gay couple leading the church choir. Many people on both sides of the fence (right-wing Christians and left-leaning LGBTs) quickly spread the word that “Hillsong was now gay-affirming” without really checking the facts or asking anybody in senior leadership at Hillsong church what their position really was.

Hillsong’s position on homosexuality has been rather murky and misunderstood by many. Pastor Brian Houston and the church have done a better job in recent years communicating with the public, however, they have often been wary of discussing their stance on homosexuality, marriage equality and gay people in leadership.

In an effort to clear up the matter once and for all, Pastor Brian Houston issued this statement today – “Do I Love Gay People”. This statement answers the questions that many of us have been asking for some time. I have quoted parts of the statement from Pastor Brian Houston below some key observations.

Hillsong still views homosexuality as a lifestyle choice:

“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. I recognise this one statement alone is upsetting to people on both sides of this discussion, which points to the complexity of the issue for churches all over the world”.

Hillsong reaffirms its position against same-sex marriage:

“I also live by my own convictions, and hold to traditional Christian thought on gay lifestyles and gay marriage. I do believe God’s word is clear that marriage is between a man and a woman. The writings of the apostle Paul in scripture on the subject of homosexuality are also clear, as I have mentioned in previous public statements”.

Gay people can attend Hillsong but not be part of leadership roles:

“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. But (this is where it gets vexing), can you take an active leadership role? No”.

My thoughts:

I understand that this statement can be upsetting for many people, particularly if you are gay or lesbian and part of Hillsong Church. I know that there are many of you hoping that the church will move forward on this issue and one day welcome you to participate fully in the life of the church. Although I am upset too, it’s important to remember that Hillsong has taken some steps forward in the past few years. The church is now talking about the issue more and they no longer support or refer gay people to harmful ‘ex-gay’ or reparative/conversion programs and therapies.

This statement includes a really important note from Pastor Brian confirming that the church will allow gay and lesbian people to attend and you won’t be kicked out for having a partner – “So if you are gay, are you welcome at Hillsong Church? Of course!”. This is a step forward, no matter how you look at it!

If you are looking for an affirming church, then sadly Hillsong isn’t the place for you but thankfully there are a growing number of welcoming churches who fully support and include LGBTI people and recognise that being gay is not a choice, nor is it a sin. There are also a growing number of support and social groups like freedom2b in Australia and the Gay Christian Network in the United States that can connect you with other people like you and support you on your journey.

Keeping the conversation going:

It can be easy to dismiss this recent statement from Pastor Brian and Hillsong and label the church as homophobic, but I think that does a disservice to other LGBT people in the church and to those in leadership who are trying to handle this the best way that they know how to. It’s important to acknowledge small steps and to encourage leadership to keep moving forward. We owe it to the many gay and lesbian people who call Hillsong church home and to the many church members who have a gay son, lesbian sister, transgender daughter, etc. The conversation must continue and it must always be full of grace, on both sides.

After reading the statement this morning, I took the time to send a quick tweet to Pastor Brian just to thank him for his clarity and to keep the conversation going. We may not agree 100% but I won’t let our disagreements get in the way of a friendship or an important conversation.

Have a great week. Lots of love!
Ben

Source: Ben Gresham, Gay people and Hillsong Church? At last… some clarity, BennyGresham, http://bennygresham.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/gay-people-and-hillsong-church-at.html, Published 05/08/2015. (Accessed 06/08/2015.

Why is Brian Houston SO hellbent to reject the “writings of Paul [which] are clear on this subject” on homosexuality and instead follow the journey and discussion with a young man that cares only about his hormones? (Hormones can’t save you.)

You have to wonder what Brian Houston will be teaching people at Bill Hybel’s Leadership Summit.

How to leave your bible in a coffee shop? How to exchange the bible for an opinion?

The bible that Houston left behind with Ben Gresham back in 2010…

Brian Houston’s controversial concepts on Muslims & Homosexuals

16 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by in Brian Houston's Beliefs

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HILLSONG’S FALSE INCLUSIVE GOSPEL

Hillsong has continually downplayed and rejected the Christian gospel and the need for repentance. The work of Cameron Buettel has continually exposed Hillsong’s continual lack of preaching the gospel of repentance.

As a result of this, we have noticed how Brian Houston has vehemently been grooming his church to be ecumenical and embrace different beliefs, ideas and forms of false “Christianity”.

Three things Brian Houston has been specifically pushing in Hillsong is Chrislam, (what we call) Queerstianity and pagan Roman Catholicism. In this article we will be looking at the definitions Brian Houston has provided so we can understand what he means by “Muslim” and “homosexual”. While Brian Houston is deliberately vague, he has provided us with just enough substance for us to see how his mind sees certain groups of individuals. In fact, he has created enough imagery for his audiences so he can conjure certain stereotypes in their minds.

ACCORDING TO BRIAN: MUSLIM = “MUSLIM EXTREMIST”

hillsong islam muslimEarlier this year, we exposed Brian Houston gas-lighting his audience to believe that Muslims and Christians serve/worship the same God. We pointed out the fact that Brian Houston was promoting the false liberal “inclusive” gospel and was pushing the idea that Christians can embrace Muslims as our Christian brothers and sisters (Chrislam).

Brian Houston’s Allah “clarification” exposed the fact that he has no problem deliberately misleading Christians around the world over the things he believes. Furthermore, in his statement he claims,

“If you listened to the message in its entirety, my point was that; who a Muslim extremist believes God is, determines what they believe God does, and what they believe God loves.” [Source] [Emphasis ours]

In Brian Houston’s Allah clarification he linked Muslim to “Muslim extremist”. In other words Houston appears to link Muslims to Muslim terrorists. However, in his sermon there was no such link made. In his sermon, he only referred to Muslims once. In his well though-out clarification to the media why did Brian Houston link Muslims to extremists?

What does the word “extremist” normally conjure? What was Brian Houston hoping to achieve in this?

ACCORDING TO BRIAN: HOMOSEXUAL = “CONFUSED IN THEIR SEXUALITY”

hillsong lgbtqi gay homosexualThis year we also published a series of articles exposing Brian Houston grooming his church to embrace what we call Queerstianity.

The Anthony Venn-Brown, John Shelby Spong and Ben Gresham connection have effectively been pushing the same-sex agenda behind the pulpit of Hillsong. As a result, Brian Houston and Hillsong are furthering the gay agenda.

Recently Brian Houston and his church hit American headlines over Houston’s remarks over same sex issues in America. As a result of Houston’s controversial statements, it appeared that some journalists, bloggers and apologists were digging through our articles and started reviewing the Houston/Gresham connection.

Certain individuals reviewed Brian Houston’s sermon “Scandal of Grace”. In this sermon, Houston said the following:

“Well it’s the weight when a young person growing up in a church feels like they are confused in their sexuality. They feel like “maybe I’m gay” and they go to a youth leader and they are rejected.” [Source]

So according to Brian Houston, someone who thinks they are gay is “confused in their sexuality“. In other words Houston thinks a homosexual can be someone with sexual identity problems.

Don’t think that this information is not important. It is. These insights into Houston’s mind are helpful for us considering his very controversial God-given vision for Hillsong at the beginning of this year for 2014 and the way Hillsong has progressed this year.

Hillsong grooming its members to embrace Queerstianity? (Part 2)

04 Sunday May 2014

Posted by in Associations, Brian Houston's Beliefs

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Queerstianity: A group of people that supposedly push no political or religious agenda but “share” their philosophy of tolerance and love onto others.”
(Source: Urban Dictionary [slightly edited])

Once again – we have to ask the question: What god does Brian Houston and Hillsong worship?

First Brian Houston said to Christians, “[…] the Muslim and you, we actually serve the same God. Allah to a Muslim, to us Abba Father God”.

Brian Houston: “the Muslim and you, we actually serve the same God”

While Brian Houston offered a clarification, he was deliberately misleading. Our above article stressed A particular issue Brian refused to address which is why we do not believe his clarification or accept his apology. We stressed this statement that he made in regards to Christians and Muslim’s serving the same God:

“But lets make sure that we view God through the eyes of Jesus, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the beauty of a Saviour, the loving open inclusive arms of a loving God.”

This is ecumenical talk and is a very deceitful ploy to use on Christians to suggest that Jesus Christ is inclusive. This is why we provided the sermon at the end of the above article.

This type of inclusivity does not preserve the Christian faith, it destroys it.

Below you are about to understand why “inclusive” talk is incredibly dangerous as it appears Brian Houston’s Hillsong god is also a gay-affirming god. That is, you can be an unrepentant homosexual and be a Christian at Hillsong church. To understand why this is such a blatant attack on the Christian faith please read our article below. We are aware how sensitive this Christian issue is and wish to deal with it mindfully.

Hillsong grooming its members to embrace Gay Christianity (Part 1)

In articles to come, we will be observing how Houston has already started the process of grooming Hillsong to embrace Queerstianity. To do this, we will be examining what homosexual media is saying about Hillsong.

Ben Gresham wrote,

Breakfast with Brian: Hillsong, Homosexuality and the Future

A blog entry on my breakfast with the Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church, Brian Houston. This entry shares Brian’s thoughts on homosexuality, gays in church, the future of the church and dealing with the whole ‘gay issue’.

Hillsong Church claims that over 20,000 people attend their Sydney services every weekend. Conservative figures state that the population who are gay or lesbian is somewhere between 6 to 10% (Gallup, 2012). If this is true then there are anywhere from 1,200 to 2000 gay and lesbian members of Hillsong Church in Sydney alone. These figures really prompt me to be open and honest, in the hope that many others will follow. The figures also raise concern as LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Intersex) people are the highest suicide risk group in Australia (Suicide Prevention Australia, 2009) and yet the church thinks its ok just to ignore them.

My involvement in freedom2b and the upcoming trip to Brisbane for the Asia-Pacific Suicide Prevention Conference in 2010 prompted me to do something about the alarming rates of suicide amongst LGBTI people and so one day I decided to send a tweet (twitter) to the Senior Pastor of my church, Brian Houston (Brian) not thinking much more of it. Surprisingly he chose to respond, asking me if I would like to do coffee. It seems simple but in reality this was a breakthrough and after so much written communication between Brian and me, here I was finally getting a chance to meet face-to-face.

It was a beautiful friday morning on the 12th November 2010 in Glenhaven in Sydney’s North West. I drove there from my parent’s house in Cherrybrook and arrived at the cafe early to pray and to make sure I was prepared for what was to be a very important meeting. I remember sitting there, knowing that this meeting was important not only for me, but also very important for the many gay and lesbian people at the Hillsong churches around the world.

As Brian Houston walked into the café, it seemed like he was more nervous of this conversation happening than I was. He shook my hand, mentioned my name, smiled and we said good morning to each other.

A discussion then progressed that went for over an hour and Brian was more than happy to answer most of my questions and concerns and possibly even learned something himself. Here’s a bit of a breakdown of what happened in three categories:

Ex-Gay?
• Brian stated clearly that Hillsong church (and himself) no longer support ex-gay ministries
• Brian acknowledged the involvement of Hillsong church in ex-gay ministries in the past such as Exit Ministries, Living Waters and Exodus. Brian mentioned that he was never truly convinced of the idea of ex-gay ministries, although his father Frank Houston supported them.
• Brian does not want an ex-gay message preached from the pulpit of Hillsong.
• When questioned about Sy Rogers, Brian responded by saying “I think Sy regrets his previous involvement in Exodus”.

Brian’s Commitments
• More training and education on sexual orientation and sexuality (particularly amongst youth leaders)
• Commitment to read and explore theology and resources on homosexuality.
• Discussions with other pastors (such as Rob Buckingham of Bayside Church, Melbourne)
• Position statement on homosexuality which can be easily accessed on the Hillsong website

Brian’s Concerns
• Vulnerable people
• Predatory behaviour
• Balancing theology with compassion
• Suicide amongst LGBT young people (particularly within the church)

Brian’s main concerns about welcoming LGBT people in to the church mainly focused around vulnerable people and protecting their safety. This included a fear of predatory behaviour and ‘hook-ups’ happening within the church. I explained to him “That is understandable; however that kind of behaviour can happen with straight people as well as gay people in the church”. I explained the safe space we have at Freedom2b and the cruise-free zone policy. He seemed interested in how we create a safe space and what Hillsong could do to maintain that the church is a safe place, free of agendas.

So, the three most important questions for LGBT people…
Q – Question A – Answer LA – Long Answer

1. Are gays welcome in Hillsong?
A: The short answer is yes!
LA: However in reality, many of us have not had such welcoming experiences. Almost every week I get another email, facebook message or someone else from church speaks to me, telling me they are being bullied at church or that they are depressed and just can’t break free from self hatred. Sadly, the most common story I hear is of a closeted gay or lesbian person at Hillsong who tells me that they are too scared to come out because they feel like if they did, people in church wouldn’t treat them the same. Saying this, I can think of a certain young man that I know in Senior leadership at Hillsong. He’s closeted and although he knows he is gay, if he came out he would be thrown out of leadership, loose friends and loose his reputation.

Unfortunately, Brian doesn’t see what I see. What’s being said in higher leadership is not travelling down to the youth pastors, connect leaders and mentors. It’s not enough to have a personal belief that ‘gay people are welcome’, this belief and the reasons why must be shared with the leadership teams and then the whole congregation. The church must be educated but this is not happening. This is the problem! Even Brian admitted “I agree that we need to educate the leaders and others in our church! We need to start talking about it“.

2. Does Hillsong support ex-gay ministries?
A: The simple answer is No… well not anymore.
LA: For a long time Hillsong did run an ‘ex-gay’ program called Exit Ministries which was started by Brian’s father Frank. This lasted for many years until they decided to close Exit Ministries and start referring people to Exodus and Living Waters. Hillsong was referring people to Living Waters up until the mid 2000s. Following this, same-sex attracted people have been referred to other ex-gay ministries around Sydney, online ex-gay ministries such as Setting Captives Free and reparative therapy (done under the guise of Christian counselling). Ex-gay preaching has taken full form at Hillsong with Sy Rogers visiting almost every year (most recently in 2010) and still selling his resources from the 1990s when he was heavily involved with Exodus International. Although I know of some that are still being referred to ‘ex-gay’ ministries, there are a few people that are being referred to psychologists and groups such as Freedom2b. The best news was that in 2011, Brian issued a statement saying that Hillsong church does not support ex-gay ministries and will not be referring anybody to them. Slowly people are getting real answers to difficult questions.

3. Does Hillsong have a heart to welcome gay people, just as they are?
A: Yes they do.
LA: The leaders and members of Hillsong church generally have a heart for people and a desire to love others. Unfortunately those 6 ‘clobber passages’ in the Bible take their effect, mixed with years of discrimination in Australia and a literalistic religious upbringing of many teaching them that gay and lesbian people are sinful and unnatural.

As a gay Christian I have had to study the bible and have realised that the bible does not condemn homosexual sexual-orientation, nor does it condemn loving monogamous same-sex relationships. The so called ‘clobber passages’ often used to condemn LGBT people can be understood through context, culture and language. For more info read Stuart Edser’s book ‘Being Gay Being Christian’ or the wonderful document ‘What the Bible really says about homosexuality’.

So, in essence Brian Houston and the majority of people at Hillsong are well-meaning Christians with a heart to help people, including LGBT people…they are just going about it the wrong way!

Why should Hillsong welcome gays?

Simply put, because the at least 1200 gay and lesbian church members need more than just occaisional preaching from Sy Rogers or J John. They need more than just a sexual purity LIFE course and they need more than a message of change or celibacy. LGBT people deserve a place in the church. They deserve messages relating to them, they deserve a sustainable option for the future and the support of a group like Freedom2b. LGBT Christians have been blessed with wonderful gifts which can be used to grow the church and serve the kingdom. Most importantly, LGBT people deserve a church pastor who is honest and open with them. They deserve a pastor and church that loves them and understands them and sees them not as a problem but as a valued member of the church family.

So… after all that do I have answers from Brian on issues such as gay relationships, marriage or whether gays should serve in church? No. But the simple, honest answers he gave must be commended. He placed himself in a vulnerable position to meet with me. He didn’t really have to, nor did he have to say anything.

If I can take away one thing from my breakfast with Brian, it would be the realisation that Brian (and many other leaders at Hillsong) really does aim to love God and love people. They acknowledge that they have not always gotten it right, and they do not pretend to be perfect, but like all of us they are on a journey and are trying to do the best they can.

Some of the answers to the questions I asked are a step forward but in reality, there is still much more work to be done to make Hillsong church a welcoming place for LGBT people.

Concluding Statement:

As a gay man and a member of Hillsong Church, I was happy to hear all that Brian had to say, however I was left wanting more… perhaps an apology for everything I went through and for many people in the church treating me so badly when I came out. I also wish Brian’s commitments had been more concrete. It’s been more than a year since our breakfast meeting and very little has changed. I am encouraged when I hear about recent stories of gay and lesbian people coming out and being welcomed at church just as they are. Yet I know of other stories where a gay man at Hillsong was not allowed to serve at Hillsong Conference because he was in a relationship with another man.

I don’t think we will see an article in the News saying ‘Hillsong Welcomes Gays’ anytime soon. But I do know that we are moving forward in trying to make the church a safer place. And that many of us are making a positive difference for future generations. As Anthony Venn-Brown often says “the enemy is not political parties, church denominations or individual people. The enemy is ignorance”. I hope that my meeting with Brian chipped away at that ignorance that exists within the Christian church about LGBT people. Ultimately, if the church is going to become a safer and more welcoming place then it will take both gay Christians and the church to work together.

Brian – If you are reading this I want to say thank you again for meeting with me. We may not agree with everything but I appreciate your honesty and your willingness to meet with me and hear my story. I am very grateful. I’m happy to work together to create a safer, more welcoming space for gay and lesbian people and would love to chat again soon.

Ben Gresham, 2012

Source: Posted By Ben Gresham, Breakfast with Brian: Hillsong, Homosexuality and the Future, Just As I Am,  http://bennygresham.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/breakfast-with-brian-hillsong.html, Thursday, May 24, 2012. (Accessed 31/03/2014.)

proof_JustAsIAm-BennyAndBrian_31-03-2014