He’s hip, he has tattoos, and he wants his church full of people, gay and straight

If avoiding the H-word was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for Carl Lentz, the pastor of Hillsong New York City.

At least that’s what he suggested in a recent CNN segment on his views and the hugely successful church he leads in trendy New York.

“Jesus was in the thick of an era where homosexuality, just like it is today, was widely prevalent.  And I’m still waiting for smeone to show me the quote where Jesus addressed it on the record in front of people.  You won’t find it because he never did,” he said.

Other pastors are happy to go in front of the cameras to share their views about the Bible’s take on homosexuality, but Lentz – who’s managed to link Christian with cool like few other church leaders – doesn’t think a “media moment” is the best place to wade into the issue.

“I do discuss it, just not the way people want me to,” he says.

What he will say, though, is that he is more than happy for gay people to be part of his flock.

“We have a lot of gay men and women in our church and I pray we always do.”

His wife, Laura Lentz, also featured in the segment and expressed similar views: “It’s not our place to tell anyone how they should live, it’s – that’s their journey.”

Watch the segment in full here

Source Christianity Today 2014