A sermon given by the pastor of a megachurch, in which he talks about how many straight Christians have a thing or two to learn from gay and lesbian Christians, has gone viral.
Pastor Andy Stanley leads North Point Ministries and North Point Community Church based in Alpharetta, Georgia.
His speech is not actually new. He delivered it last May at North Point’s 2022 Drive Conference.
He tells his audience that gay Christians show inspirational devotion in their persistence to be included in a church that so often excludes them.
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“They have more faith than a lot of you”
Stanley says if his church could make straight people “as excited about serving as the gay and women I know, we would have a volunteer backlog.
“A gay person who still wants to attend church after the way the church has treated the gay community, I’m telling you, they have more faith than I do. They have more faith than a lot of you,” Stanley says.
“A gay person who knows, ‘You know what? I may not be accepted here, but I’m gonna try it anyway,’ have you ever done that as a straight person?”
Stanley continues: “I’m telling you: The gay men and women who grew up in church, and the gay men and women who’ve come to faith in Christ as adults, who want to participate in church? Oh my goodness.
“I know 1 Corinthians 6 and I know Leviticus and I know Romans 1. It’s so interesting to talk about all that stuff. But just, oh my goodness. A gay man or woman who wants to worship their Heavenly Father, who did not answer the cry of their heart when they were 12 and 13 and 14 and 15—God said “No” and they still love God? We have some things to learn from a group of men and women who love Jesus that much and who want to worship with us.”
Related: Christians rally around gay teen struggling with his sexuality, offer love and support
Some Evanglicals are disgusted
Stanley’s speech went viral after it was shared by a Baptist Pastor, Adam Page. He expressed horror at Stanley’s message.
What on earth… let this be a lesson. Much evil can be done against you, others and your church under the banner of evangelism. pic.twitter.com/EArWfpTc7r
— pagemasta (@AdamPage85) January 23, 2023
Many of Page’s followers were quick to condemn Stanley, with one saying he had “tethered himself to the doctrines of demons.“
Soon enough, Christian media outlets picked up on the story and shared the video. Some leading LGBTQ+ figures have welcomed the clip.
Here’s the TV producer and presenter Tony Morrison.
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The clip also went viral on TikTok.
@thenewevangelicals #andystanley #progressivechristian #christiantiktok ♬ original sound – The New Evangelicals
Related: These gay Christians aren’t repressing themselves, they’re just engaging in “loving self-denial”
Many LGBTQ+ Christians have welcomed the message and the acknowledgment of their devotion. However, not everyone is happy about it.
Author and atheist activist Hemant Mehta warned people not to be so quick to praise Stanley. He says Stanley’s spin on things is a variation of “Hate the sin, love the sinner.”
Mehta says to “pretend Stanley is saying anything unique about gay people is a stretch that’s not backed up by anything.”
Mehta continues, “Stanley never says he’s okay or even comfortable with homosexuality. He doesn’t say his audience should support same-sex marriage or that his church will perform those weddings.”
In short, “If you’re gay and you’re a member of Andy Stanley’s church, you may be welcome inside and they’ll gladly take your tithe money, but the expectation is that you remain single and celibate forever.”
What do you make of the speech? A welcome sentiment from an evangelical? Or nowhere near good enough?
Diplomat
It’s a good story but the pastor only goes half way. He needs to say he supports gay marriage and offer it in his church. That’s real support. Words aka lip service and actions are two very separate things.
Man About Town
I do like his quip about straight people’s in-laws!
LumpyPillows
Yeah, and I still find religions to be leeches on society. What good work some churches do, they do far more harm with their destructive dogmas. We need to start taxing them. They are essentially private clubs/ponzi schemes selling time shares in the afterlife.
Diplomat
Yup. Prefect description.
missvamp
truth
Mack
Decades ago, they did “good work” in the communities. They actually helped people who were down. Today, most churches are greedy, hateful, filled with racism and bigotry. I got out and there is way in hell I’m going back. Too many supports the Old Testaments, which is filled with hatred. Not enough practice the words of their Jesus.
Baron Wiseman
Secularism is the belief that man does not need God or God’s laws in man’s social, governmental, educational, or economic affairs. Ironically, secularism rejects religion, yet is itself a religion. A religion that is responsible for the murder of 100+ million people in the 20th century.
dbmcvey
No Baron. It’s not a religion. It does not have a deity that you need faith in.
(btw, “faith” means believing in something when you have no good reason to do so.)
decrans
Based on Dickvaney’s definition, this aptly describes the modern transgender movement as well.
LegionKeign
So he just re-affirmed that there are weak-minded nut-buckets in the LGBTQ+ community, um, log cabin republicans, hello…
wikidBSTN
I’m a Roman Catholic and never went in for these megachurch pastors. But Andy Stanley is different. For several years he used to have a show that was on right after SNL. I found him to be one of the most enlightened, knowledgeable, articulate and sincere preachers I have ever heard.
I applaud him for sticking his neck out on our behalf.
JTinToronto
He may just be stirring the pot to get the members of his cult to be better christians and put more money into the kitty. Whenever church/cult coffers start getting low the leader riles up the congregation to fill them back up again. Religion is a business, it’s about money, not spirituality. You have to buy your way into heaven, there’s no free admission.
Terrycloth
All.religions are mind control…all of them..they all.want money..I bet quiet a few don’t believe in.what they’re preaching..I used to go to church as a kid until I got rational thinking…got a brain
Mack
Amen
dman
The problem is that the so-called “Christians” don’t listen to pastors like this, they seem to only be interested in the ones who preach hate.
FreddieW
I was once a big fan of his dad. Good for him, but I have suspicions about religious dynasties. Maybe he’s an exception, but I can’t think of any famous pastor’s son who turned out well.
irbaboon
Any time christians act nice to lgbtq people it is because they they are trying to proselytize us. Don’t trust those vermin
Baron Wiseman
@irbaboon
Said the religion bigot.