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This week she takes a look at the hypocrisy of the Obama-approved, recloseted homosexual pastor Donnie McClurkin and his church versus openly gay gospel singer Tonéx.
Pastor Donnie McClurkin’s Gay Church
Rev. Irene Monroe
The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is the largest African American and largest Pentecostal church in the United States.
And as the largest denominational black church in the country it is also the loudest in rebuking homosexuality.
With many of the gospel music industry mega-stars from COGIC, the church’s charismatic worship style shouts to a black gay male queer gospel aesthetic every Sunday. And the church is conflicted with itself.
Unfortuantely, these black gay male mega-stars are always forced to go back into the closet denouncing publicly their sexual orientation at the church’s annual convocation.
Case in point: Speaking at the COGIC’s 102nd Holy Convocation International Youth Department Worship Service on November 7 held at the Memphis Cook Convention Center, Pastor Donnie McClurkin, the poster boy for African American ex-gay ministries, was one of them.
“God did not call you to such perversions. Your only hope is Jesus Christ. Were it not for this Jesus I would be a homosexual today. This God is a deliverer,” McClurkin told his audience.
McClurkin attributed his homosexuality to being raped twice as a child, first at age eight at his brother’s funeral by his uncle, and then at age thirteen by his cousin, his uncle’s son.
Confusing same-gender sexual violence as homosexuality, McClurkin misinterpreted the molestation as the reason for his gay sexual orientation. McClurkin ”testi-lies” that his cure was done by a deliverance from God and a restoration of his manhood by becoming the biological father of a child.
Rev. Monroe continues below the fold.
In his book “Eternal Victim, Eternal Victor,” McClurkin writes, “”The abnormal use of my sexuality continued until I came to realize that I was broken and that homosexuality was not God’s intention…for my masculinity.”At the Convocation McClurkin espoused his ex-gay rhetoric by castigating former gospel industry worker Tonéx (Anthony Charles Williams II) who unapologetically stated that he ”didn’t struggle with his sexual attraction to men.”
A talented singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, dancer, producer, and preacher, Tonéx has won six Stellar Awards, a GMA Award, and received a Grammy nomination for Best Soul Gospel Album for his 2004 gold album “Out The Box.”
Known for his outlandish multi-colored hairstyles and flamboyant garbs with feather boas, fur coats,Tonéx’s image caused consternation in the black gospel and contemporary Christian music communities.
“It wasn’t me trying to make a statement; I’ve always been different,” he told George Varga of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “And it really worked. Out of church, people are always asking me what my tattoos mean.”
According to McClurkin black males, like Tonéx, are gay because of sexual molestation, an absentee father, or they didn’t have strong male images around them. Tonéx is the son of the revered late, Dr. Anthony Williams, Senior Pastor and District Elder in the Truth Apostolic Community Church in suburban Spring Valley.
In an open letter to the Convocation, Bishop Yvette Flunder, an out lesbian who is a third generation preacher with roots in the Church of God in Christ, licensed in the COGIC, and is now the Presiding Bishop of The Fellowship and Senior Pastor, City of Refuge United Church of Christ, wrote the following:
“I watched a clip of Pastor Donnie McClurkin at the COGIC Convocation Nov11, 2009 where he used the words perversion and vampirism in reference to feminine young men and ‘evil’ butch young ladies. He suggested that the church had failed them and not been active enough in helping these young people find deliverance. He ranted against gospel artist and pastor Tonéx with regard to Tonéx’s recent affirmation of his own same gender orientation.”
Pastor Donnie knows like I know that Tonéx is more the ‘rule’ than the exception to the rule. What makes Tonéx unique is not that he is a Gay gospel music artist and Pastor but that he told the truth about his sexuality, while not claiming to be delivered,”
Gay males continue to find ways of being supported in the COGIC.
For example, “blaquebigayministers” is a Yahoo gay ministers group, boasting 787 members since July 2000 and was founded by COGIC Elder Ronald Kimbrew. Kimbrew served as the Arkansas 1st Jurisdiction as the Assistant Secretary of the Pastors & Elders Council of COGIC from December 1996 to March 19, 2005 and his now the Public Relations Director at Greater Trinity, a COGIC congregation in Arkansas.
The “blaquebigayministers” website states the following:
“WELCOME. This fellowship is for support and encouragement especially of black Christian ministers and friends who are “family” (bi or same-gender loving) and need a place of refuge. Enjoy the “fellowship.”
Kimbrew organized meetings of bisexual and same-gender loving COGIC ministers for most of the national meetings like Memphis Holy Convocation that McClurkin now denounces but use to take part in.
A reported following the Convocation asked “Is COGIC going to be silent while an organized culture of homosexual ministers and bishops populate its pulpits?
And the answer is yes.
COGIC shouts to a black gay male queer gospel aesthetic every Sunday and no one knows it better than McClurkin himself.
COGIC was formed in 1897 by a group of disfellowshipped Baptists. I wonder if the guys were disfellowshipped because they were gay.
Related:
* ‘Ex-gay’ McClurkin’s alleged lover: I was with him after he prayed away the gay
* McClurkin bobs and weaves, Team Obama scrambles as HRC lowers the boom
24 Comments
THIS is black homophobia
…as opposed to a homophobe that happens to be black.
I was never molested. I had plenty of strong male images around me. Yes, the absentee father but I had a stepfather (and I still do).
Call out these bigots and hypocrites, Rev. Monroe.
(By the way I owe you an amend for something else…)
Never understood Pentecostal homophobiaI actually grew up attending an Assembly of God church which is really Pentecostal. My family and I never became members because of their very strict rules. My church was not as bad as most of these churches, but in general they are homophobic.
This is the same church that Sarah Palin grew up in. Surprise! She still attends the Assembly of God. Well … says she attends church.
Anyway, sometimes I wonder if lack of education from the church “leaders” is what makes these Pentecostals so homophobic.
Or maybe they are gay.
The HYPOCRICY of McClurkin is why I detest himHe ISN’T “ex-gay”, he hides in a G*D DAMN closet. A lover he was with 3 years, is on the record saying he was being sexual with McClurkin when he was already spewing how he was “CURED”.
It can’t come soon enough for me when Donnie gets BUSTED with a guy just like Ted Haggard, and Jim Bakker.
I do pity the queer who sleeps with this self loathing DREK!
I’ve never understood this thought processAs someone who was raised with parents who were together for 47 years (only separated by my father’s death)it is incomprehensible to me that any upbringing can be attributed to sexual orientation. I was close with both of my parents, both were very involved in the lives of all of their children. They were cub scout, boy scout, girl scout leaders, baseball coaches (both of them, Mom was the first woman coach in our town one year when they couldn’t find enough fathers). I learned my love of classic cars and auto mechanics from Dad (cars hold no interest for my straight brothers),my love of cooking from Mom (all three boys love to cook, my sister not so much). I was surrounded by strong male and strong female figures throughout my life as were my siblings. Only one of the four is gay. There is no connection.
No…that’s just homophobiaHis line of thinking is certainly not unique to black Americans. those arguments have been applied to LGBT folk regardless of race for quite some time.
What’s said is to see McClurkin use tired, old and easily descredited rationalizations to support his position. I mean, if he’s going to throw crap around like that, he could atleast do us the honor of finding new rationales.
What’s funny is Troy Perry founder of MCC was also PentacostalI knew several ministers in MCC with pentacostal training, either the regular pastor or guest pastors in Minneapolis.
It stuck in my mind when I’d hear them, because I was raised very White-Bread Lutheran, and from a reformed Mormon mother, so the “bathed in the BLOOD” sermons and hymns were something that took me a long time to accept and be comfortable with.
The question I have is…why hasn’t he already been caught? It should be pretty easy to prove that he’s lying. He’s not that bright. All it would take is a good photographer and some patience (why do I think it would not really take all that long to catch him in a compromising situation).
Hell, all you really need is for someone like Star Jones to come out and tell the truth about these “ex-gays.”
You’re right, of coursebut it’s black Americans that I hear spouting this crap far, far more (my cousin actually believes this). This is one step away from saying that homosexuality is a “white thing” in this context. For homophobia like this, it’s very culturally specific.
That’s why I use the term “black homophobia” in this case
Depends on what he pays his call boysMy hubby dated a beautiful COLT leather model, who was a very high paid hustler. He liked my hubby because he was easy to be with, and they had an open relationship. He kept his mouth shut about his clientelle, or he wouldn’t have had ANY high paying customers.
LOL, Geek, that’s just WRONG!
I agree with you but that’s just wrong.
Thing is, I don’t know many black Americans in the church that actually believe McClurkin’s crap, either.
Gee, I became a Lesbian for the discounts to LL Beanand the comfortable shoes.
They don’t call em SHEEP and FLOCK for nothingI can assure you the Bible thumpers around here, would accept you COMPLETELY if you’d be their “ex-gay” poster boy, and renounce being gay.
They aren’t real deep thinkers, how their life savings doesn’t end up with a Nigerian prince, is only cuz they already gave it to Liberty kOLlEge, or some condo scheme of Pat Robertson or Swaggart.
They had me…..with SHOWTUNES……lol
well I did hold out for the free toasterI’m easy, but NOT CHEAP
Or at least be public about it being “ex-gay”But the church sisters where I’m from would be talking all the juicy tea as if they were there. For example, I’ve always know that Rev. James Cleveland was gay.
See, someone needs to do a sting operation (which I think Geek is slyly hinting at). Of course, after this Miss Rough Sex Donnie will be 3 times as careful. ‘Cause folks are out to get the goods on her.
Wait just a damn minute….….we can get a discount at L.L. Bean?!?
Put some drop dead gorgeous college boys in their churchHave them in the choir, and have them do a charity car wash all wet and sudsy. The trap is set, and the closeted GURLS won’t be able to concentrate on anything else…then we do candid photos.
This ain’t rocket science.
My theoryThe lover he may or may not have now I would say is probably a member of his church and just as closeted as he is. You know how loyal some folk are to their pastor…
“Don’t tell anyone. You don’t want to get your loyal pastor in trouble, now would you?”
“No, of course not!”
BTW, this same dialogue happens with heterosexual, extramarital affairs in the Church. The lover must show respectful silence and loyalty to “God’s Man on Earth”. Ugh.
Oh, petey in COGICthey’re already there, trust me.
I’ll put my money on a well paid call boyThose Church flings when they break up become PUBLIC, and he can well afford to pay top dollar for SILENCE.
Another good trick…so to speakPair up a HOT man with a straight woman friend with kids, to join the church. Then a month later, have the guy talk to the Pastor about same sex YEARNINGS…no need for AXE spray, Pastor will jump on the bait, like manna from heaven.
Wire up the bait, and threaten to bring the tapes out publicly, if they don’t back the hell off the queers.
Trying To Boost Record SalesDonnie keeps spouting more extreme stuff because it appeals to the anti-gay’s, and it makes them rush out to buy his crappy music.
I don’t see what the “christians” see in him. Half of the time he’s onstage acting like he’s Patti LaBelle.
The myth originates in the white church…ironically, the same white church that once tried to deny blacks their civil & human rights. Go figure.
In the church, yes butyou also find this in most forms of nationalism (which may or may not have a religious basis).
I have seen this in a lot (and I mean a lot) of Afrocentric literature, black psychology, and black sociology books.