Joshua Bassett preaches religious dogma at concert after being baptised by anti-LGBTQ+ megachurch
Joshua Bassett has continued to worry fans over involvement with seemingly anti-LGBTQ+ religious group (@PopFactions/ Twitter)
Queer actor and musician Joshua Bassett has continued to worry fans by doubling down on religious practices, seemingly inspired by the infamously anti-LGBTQ+ Bethel Church, at a recent concert.
Bassett – star of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series – performed worship music and read religious testimonies during the pop-up concert in Los Angeles, telling fans he had asked his dad to “help him get saved”.
“I called my dad and I said, ‘Dad, I want you to help me get saved.’ And in that moment, he was praying for the Lord to save me,” said the 22-year-old.
“I’m running around calling everyone I know, like I’m a Christian now, God is real, Jesus is great… To know Jesus Christ, is to know peace now.”
The rest of the video details Bassett’s lead-up to his baptising at Bethel Church. Further videos show fans singing worship music together outside the Globe Theatre, where he was performing.
Users on Twitter have become concerned that Bassett’s sudden embrace of religion is not his choice – and that the particular branch of religion that he seems to be involved with is incredibly homophobic, with many thinking the word choice of him being “saved” is a reference to conversion therapy.
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The former Disney star previously sparked concern by being baptised by the anti-LGBTQ+ church, which promotes conversion therapy and is extremely vocal about its homophobia.
Footage of a service at the megachurch in Redding, California, shared on Twitter by the star of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, saw him declare that Jesus Christ is his “Lord and saviour”.
Asked why he wanted to get baptised by a representative of Bethel Church, Joshua Bassett, who came out publically as queer in 2021, replied: “Long story short: I grew up Christian and I ran the other way as far as I could go in pursuit of ‘truth’, and that only ended in addiction, depression, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, et cetera.”
Bassett quickly denied that he knew of the church’s anti-LGBTQ+ “policies and beliefs”, clarifying that his heart is for “Christ and Christ alone”.
Following the concert, Bassett posted a tweet in which he strongly condemned conversion therapy.
Bethel Church has a 3,500-word page on its website dedicated to the topic of sexuality and LGBTQ+ issues.
It also has links to the CHANGED Movement: an “ex-gay” network that was started by Bethel Church pastors Elizabeth Woning and Ken Williams in 2019 in response to a California bill that would have cracked down on gay “conversion” therapy in the state.
Both Woning and Williams identified as gay in their youth before renouncing their sexuality, according to the organisation’s website.
