Jay Bakker and the Soulforce Connection

Jay Bakker who is the son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, and the pastor of Revolution Church in New York, has aligned himself with an organization known as Soulforce. Soulforce is a national civil rights organization whose main push is for “freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious and political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance.”

“Jay doesn’t believe in an exclusive God, only one that embraces us all for who we are, including same-gender-loving individuals.” (source)

According to an article today in the Houston Chronicle, and Soulforce website, Soulforce and Jay Bakker have extended invitations to six mega-churches to be a part of a “nationwide fellowship effort called The American Family Outing. The project, which aims to create dialogue between LGBT families and families at six American mega-churches”, including Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston, texas.

So far, Osteen has not agreed to or responded to the invitation. However, several other mega-churches, including The Potter’s House in Dallas(T.D. Jakes), Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois (Bill Hybells), and Hope Christian Church in Maryland (Henry R. Jackson jr., have agreed to meet lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families through The American Family Outing.

I have no problem with the idea that we are supposed to love all people…even those who choose to be gay or lesbian…but where I start to have issue with the whole Soulforce connection is that it appears to be advocating their chosen lifestyle.

Contrary to Jay Bakker’s particular belief that Christianity is non-exclusionary, according to scripture there are those that will not be saved. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of their acceptance of the ‘alternative lifestyle’.

I don’t want to come off like some of our friendly ODM sites around the blogoshpere, but this is a very dangerous thing for Jakes and Hybells to ‘link’ themselves and their congregations to.