Joel Osteen remains silent, but Soulforce presses on with Saturday's picnic in Houston
The son of evangelical Tammy Faye Bakker Messner will spend his first Mother's Day weekend since her death in Houston, waiting to hear from Lakewood Church Pastor Joel Osteen.
Jay Bakker, a high-profile supporter of Soulforce — a group that fights religious and political oppression of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders — wants Osteen to join the nontraditional families at a picnic Saturday and welcome them to church on Sunday.
As the tattooed and pierced Bakker spoke at a Soulforce news conference Wednesday, it was clear his mother was in his thoughts. Though she died of cancer last July, she remains a near-legend in the LGBT community.
"I want to celebrate my mother's life," said Bakker, pastor of Revolution New York City, "and help spread the message she lived and preached. We need to stop thinking of ourselves as 'us' and 'them.' We hope the families of Lakewood Church will open their hearts and minds to us and sit down and have a conversation and share a meal. ... Let's put our differences aside and share the love and hope of Christ."
Osteen has been largely silent on LGBT issues.
But for Bakker, "That's as destructive as speaking out against the LGBT community."
Bakker began trying to reach Osteen in December as part of a nationwide fellowship effort called The American Family Outing. Letters were sent to the pastors of six megachurches, including The Potter's House in Dallas and Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois.
Organizers asked the pastors to meet with members of the LGBT community over a meal and talk about shared family values.
While four megachurch pastors answered positively, Osteen and one other didn't respond, Soulforce spokeswoman Paige Schilt said.
After Wednesday's news conference, Bakker drove to Lakewood with a local lesbian mother who is an Osteen fan.
"Families come in all forms," said Kim Beggs, a real estate broker. "God loves us."
They were turned away after a brief wait with the assurance that the letters would reach their destination.
Donald Iloff, Lakewood's chief of communications, later told the Houston Chronicle that Osteen wasn't able to meet with Bakker or attend the picnic because he is busy writing his Sunday sermon. It's a four-day process, he said.
Iloff went on to say, "If we met to talk, would this group be satisfied if we agreed to disagree? ... Soulforce wants to use Lakewood to further their agenda."
The picnic will go on from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Levy Park. The group welcomes people who attend Lakewood Church, Schilt said.
claudia.feldman@chron.com
Houston Chronicle
Gay Socialites.com
Joel Osteen declines invitation to gay family picnic
Joel Osteen has evidently turned down an offer to attend a picnic on Saturday for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families, according to the Houston Chronicle.
"In brief Houston's Rev. Joel Osteen has apparently declined an invitation to attend a picnic for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families," the reporter writes.
I guess this one just wasn't meant to be. While I had hoped that Osteen would send out a message that "gay Christians" are ok by attending the function being organized by Tammy Faye Messner's son, Rev. Jay Bakker.
Staying true to God's word... I forgive Pastor Osteen.
GaySocialites.com
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