Donnie McClurkin Faces Tears, More Controversy

In the charismatic climate of the Churches of God in Christ Holy Convocation, Pastor Donnie McClurkin once again addressed the cloudy and controversial nature of homosexuality - a subject that continues to give the popular gospel singer more and more media coverage. And things got even more graphic as he peculiarly opened the painful chapters of his past and his epiphanies concerning today's generation in front of thousands of youth and young adults at a youth service.

"I went to Mason's Temple and sat in the musicals." He then cried in displeasure, "No, no, no...Where are the fathers?"

An altar call towards deliverance, hearkened by McClurkin's anti-gay rants, opened the door for even more skepticism. Deliverance, a charming term used overtly and often times out of context, still worries theologians and modern Christians today. According to the "ex-gay" ministry Witness for the World's web site, they believe deliverance from homosexuality is a process. While the debate continues to loom with even larger interpretations in the church, homosexuality is widely encountered in the animal kingdom and is slowly pointing to its place of origin in the world of genetics. Ex-gay movements like Witness for the World still believe that a person can be delivered, or liberated totally, from homosexuality and lesbianism.

In the videos now streamed by thousands of visitors on YouTube, he openly addressed Tonex', the former gospel singer and urban R&B singer who spoke about his long-rumored sexuality. He even went on to compare homosexuals to the likes of vampires. Good gracious.

McClurkin recently spoke about his battle with homosexuality while also comparing his sexual urges to his medical diagnosis of diabetes. "I don't eat sugar, but it doesn't mean that I don't want sugar."

McClurkin also uttered with tears piercing his skin,"It's not the children's fault. We failed our boys...and girls. But today, Bishop Blake said this is the convocation of the turnaround. Today, the tables are about to turn and Satan is going to be destroyed over the lives of our young people."

So I guess in some supernatural way, since this is the year of the turnaround, gays and lesbians will cease to exist and less gays will congregate into the midnight musicals. Or maybe not.

In response to McClurkin's choice of words at the COGIC campmeeting, Yvette Flunder, pastor of City of Refuge Church and renowned gospel artist, stated in a Facebook journal entry:

"My deep concern is for those young people who are part of the COGIC and for their families who have now been driven deeper into the closet by experiences like this. The closet is a dangerous place, where theological, and physical self-abuse runs rampant."

Tell us about it, Yvette. It was the closet that made McClurkin what he was and what he still is.

Thanks Rod 2.0 for informing us about this one. You can read Rod McCullom's post on Donnie McClurkin's rants by clicking here.

[I KEEP ON FALLIN']
What's Gotten Into Donnie McClurkin [TheDailyVoice.com]

Bishop Yvette Flunder Responds to McClurkin's Attacks on Gay Youth [Rod 2.0]
Donnie McClurkin Gets Real as He Talks About His New CD and Being Delivered... [Pearl's Window]

Lexi Show Gets a Little Spicy

Lexi is on a roll with her highly-acclaimed, cable TV talk show The Lexi Show.

After debuting her new season with a highly controversial one-on-one interview with urban gospel/R&b singer Ton3x, Lexi returns with an even greater episode. This time around, Lexi sits down to chat one-on-one with Pastor Tony Smith, an Atlanta preacher who has become the latest YouTube sensation of bold, brash and unapologetic preachers. His bold statements, rolled up with attacks on popular church leaders like Bishop T.D. Jakes, Paula White, Joyce Meyer and Bishop Eddie Long, has giving him a brutal edge of saltiness over the controversial Rev. David Manning of the New York-based ATLAH Ministries.

Things even got heated when Smith tries to mimick Lexi's decorum and professionalism. Lexi bites back, with a little Wendy Williams grit, when she says "You gonna start with me tonight? I'm not the one." The moment is spectacular.

Watch all three parts and get a good dose of church humor and religious domination.

[MORE COMP-LEXI-TIONS]

Lexi Television Show (YouTube)

Lexi (Official Website)

Tonex' Opens Up About His Sexuality (PRAYZE Report)

Update: Deitrick and GospelPundit Working Together

We kinda smelled this one coming. At least I did.

EJ Gaines, the forerunner for popular gospel blog GospelPundit.com and former industry intern, will sit and chat with Deitrick Haddon over his recent homophobic rant on his Twitter page involving gospel artist Tonex'. The coverage, first broke ground at GospelPundit when Gaines felt it was unacceptable and unnecessary for that type of language to be made in the gospel field. The original post, which featured over 70 comments from concerned gospel fans, has since been removed "pending a discussion that Deitrick wants to have with me." said Gaines on his Twitter page Saturday morning. "While I don't take responsibility for Deitrick Haddon's comments, I'm more concerned with bringing unity to this industry."

That might be the objective, EJ. But we believe it's a little more than that. Maybe you're just giving an olive branch to your fellow co-workers and employer.

Another addition to the story:
Deitrick Haddon's Twitter page, originally made public for his fans and supporters, has now been protected his tweets from outside viewers. What once was public is now private.

Below is a picture of what you will find when you click on Haddon's Twitter page; that's if you're not a follower already.

[THE BIRDS ARE TWEETING AGAIN]

Deitrick Speaks Out: "No Sissy Bone In My Body" (PRAYZE Report)
Gospel Singer Deitrick Haddon: "Not a Sissy Bone In My Body" (Rod 2.0)

In the Twitterhood: Deitrick Haddon Sparks Debate on Homosexuality (GospelPundit.com - link no longer active)

Deitrick Haddon (Twitter)

Gospel Pundit (Twitter)

YPJ Calls for Order

Since Tonex opened up about his closet on the Lexi Show, Facebookers and Twitterers have opened up dialogue about the state of gospel music and the need to do something about the most recent buzz topics in the gospel industry today (i.e., the PJ Morton/Tye Tribbett secular vs. sacred debate on CNN, the Mary Mary & Ne-Yo collaboration, Whitney Houston's emergence as gospel star with "I Look to You").

Seems like YPJ wants a piece of the action. And he's calling all cars to the scene of the crime.

Don't know who he is? Well, we don't either. But he's making some noise with his viral Facebook video calling on major gospel artists (including Deitrick Haddon, Mary Mary, Fred Hammond, Tonex', Tye Tribbett, Kirk Franklin, Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard, and Donnie McClurkin) to rise up using the spirit of prevention with the hopes to create a healthy dialogue about these and soon-to-come situations.

A brief snippet on YPJ's profile: he's part rapper, part preacher and a Tye Tribbett admirer. His biggest moment in the gospel spotlight was his cameo appearance on Israel Houghton's A Deeper Level project where he raps on "Surely Surely."

It would have been nice if he didn't have to call out the Who's Who in gospel music in the video. Some are in trouble, some are not, some are superstar gospel artists and some are just trying to move away from a murky past. YPJ, on the other hand, does his hardest to bring all the junk into one video. It just seems that the guy, who so happens to be an artist himself, is in desperate need of attention. If he's any good at doing music, I think YPJ needs to focus on the greater good and perfect his gift. The desperate need to bring everybody into one room to try to unify (something that is probably impossible to do in these end times) is like trying to morph Republicans and Democrats into one single political party. YPJ, get in the studio and try to make some music. That's if you can.

In the video, YPJ summons gospel artists to come together and talk about these matters at his state of the art facility.

"I offer you my facility. I have a 2,000 seat sanctuary, 88,000-square foot plaza, which has the accommodations necessary for those of you who may be celebrities and stars, if you need different dressing rooms, whatever you got, whatever you need, I can handle it. I'm offering my facility for free."

By the way, at his request, YPJ is urging gospel audiences and fans to "repost the daily." Not just the message. He wants you to spread the word about the messenger and his video. How clever.

To view the video, you must be a member of Facebook.

[YPJ YELLS SOS]

YPJ calls out Kirk, Tye, Tonex, Fred & more (Facebook)

Tonex' Opens Up about His Sexuality (PRAYZE Report)

Tonex' Opens Up About His Sexuality

Always considered a maverick and controversial, Anthony C. Williams, II, best known to the gospel world as Tonex' with a list of gospel hits under his belt including "God Has Not 4Got" and "Make Me Over," opened up to talk show host Lexi on the season premiere of the Lexi Show - which aired nationally on the Word Network. The interview dealt with the hard questions and reflected back on familiar territory including the jaded events surrounding The Naked Truth, child molestation and his four-year marriage. On the show, Tonex', who has always been embattled with rumors about his sexuality, addresses the subject by confirming that he is "attracted to the same sex."

Amidst the tough responses and disgruntled viewers that remain disappointed at Tonex's decision to open up about his life, he spoke about the hypocrisies of the black church and its unfair treatment towards the LGBT community. "The church has completely faggotized everybody who's gay, sends them to hell over the pulpit and the church literally screams "hooray" and are happy about that. And yet, we celebrate the pastor who has a clean record and a clean look, but yet he is still doing the same thing that the same gender loving people are doing."

He also raised a powerful piece of logic "People can say 'See, I knew it all along," Tonex muttered. "If you knew it all along, this is the same guy who was taking you into the presence of the Lord. This is the same guy that wrote those songs. I'm no different."

Previously, on many occasions when addressed about his sexuality, Tonex' denied the rumors. "I take ownership of that," Tonex' now admits.

Several online media journalists are already labeling Tonex' has being the only gospel artist to date to speak out about their homosexual tendencies. The information is inaccurate. In 2008, Ray Boltz, a popular Contemporary Christian/gospel singer and Dove Award winner, came out the closet. But Tonex's views and decision to speak out openly on the matters are entirely different from Donnie McClurkin or even Terrell Carter (a Tyler Perry co-star who recently was outed online by an ex-boyfriend with several personal pictures depicting an intimate relationship, but has yet to address the allegations in the media). Tonex' instead becomes transparent and finally delivers a honest and courageous thing; something most gospel recording artists are too afraid to do.

Cell phones and Twitter pages should be blowing up right now. Surely, Tonex' should be commended for blowing the whistle on what we knew all along about the gospel industry, but were too afraid to talk about. Certainly, the hypocrisy from closeted preachers, ministerial actors, homophobic-and-hateful ministers of the cloth still possess a mighty dominance in the house of God. And that shouldn't be so.

Tonex's (now spelled Ton3x) last album, released on Battery Records and distributed through parent company Zomba, received some attention for its subject matter and mature lyricism, but is considered by critics to be one of his safest pop-oriented albums to date.

Watch Part II of the interview below.


Parts I and III can be viewed at Lexi's YouTube channel page.

[COMP-LEXI]
Lexi Television Channel (YouTube)

WATCH: Gospel Star Tonex Confirms Rumors and Same Sex Attraction (Rod 2.0)

Madea Actor Terrell Carter Caught in Media Spin (PRAYZE Report)