Influential megachurch pastor clarifies his support for ‘traditional’ marriage

Oct 20 2014
Written by Aaron Day

The pastor at a global megachurch has clarified his belief in “traditional” marriage after apparently signalling a shift in stance towards same-sex marriage.

Brian Houston is the senior pastor at the Australia-based Hillsong Church, which has about 100,000 global worshippers across several cities, and is known for its affiliation with Christian music.

Speaking in New York recently, Mr Houston had said the world is changing, and that taking a stance on equal marriage was not a “yes or no answer in a media outlet.”

However, according to the media outlet Christian Post, Houston has clarified his stance, saying: “Nowhere in my answer did I diminish biblical truth or suggest that I or Hillsong Church supported gay marriage.

“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.

“I encourage people not to assume a media headline accurately represents what I said at a recent press conference.”

Previously, Houston had said: “The world we live in, whether we like it or not, is changing around and about us.

“The world’s changing, and we want to stay relevant as a church, so that’s a vexing thing.”

“There’s the world we live in, there’s the weight we live with, and there’s the word we live by.”