Is Chris Pratt praying in an anti-LGBT church? What we know and what remains speculation

He’s one of Hollywood’s most famous Chris’s, currently saving the universe as Star Lord in “Guardians of the Galaxy 3” and hurtling across the screen as an Italian plumber in a go-kart: Chris Pratt. Religion is always a topic in his interviews, including during the press tour for the latest Marvel movie at the beginning of the month. He quoted a verse from the Bible on page six and said that it is nothing new that he has to defend his faith in God.

Criticism first surfaced in 2019 then Elliot Page tweetedthat Pratt is a member of a church that is anti-LGBTQ+. We were talking about the Hillsong Church, which was founded in Australia in the 1980s and claims to have over 20,000 members worldwide – including in Switzerland. The Free Church is known for its conservative views. Founder and CEO Brian Houston resigned last year after eight people testified against him and his father for sexually assaulting a child. In Australia, the Church was also charged with money laundering and tax evasion.

Just three years after Page’s allegations, Pratt denied belonging to the Hillsong Church: “I’ve never been to Hillsong. I don’t know anyone from this church.” He and his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger (yes, the daughter of DEM Schwarzenegger ) attend services at Zoe Church, a church that Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber, his wife Hailey Bieber, and the Kardashians also rave about.

What’s the truth behind Elliot’s allegations? In a statement, Pratt said he attends a church “that opens its doors to absolutely everyone.” But not only the Hillsong Church is criticized for its statements against queer people, the Zoe Church is also not free from controversy.

It was founded in 2015 by Chad Veach, who preached in Hillsong. He is good friends with the founder and used this church as a model for his own church, he says in an interview with The New York Times. The Zoe Church wants to appeal to young people: they sell hip merchandise, produce music with their own gospel choirs and are active on social media. Veach is also modern: in 2019, he joined Bieber on his world tour and they spent time together in Switzerland. After the concert in Bern, Bieber shared a video recorded in his hotel room showing him and Veach singing together. Veach later tattooed a quote from Bieber.

No specific statements about the inclusion of queer people (and other minorities) are published on the church’s website. When asked his opinion on abortion – another polarizing issue in the US – Veach said the church is no place for a political agenda.

Hillsong provided proof of where the organization is in 2017. The church has issued a statement calling on Australian members of the church to vote against same-sex marriage, writes The Washington Post. The statement has since been removed. There are also reports that former members have been kicked out of the church choir because of their sexual orientation. At Zoe Church, Pastor Veach is sparking controversy for working as a producer on a 2017 documentary equating same-sex attraction with “sexual brokenness.”

Pratt doesn’t seem to want to hear about these allegations. Instead, he talks about how tolerant the Free Church was towards him when he divorced Anna Faris, even though divorce is not allowed in the Bible: “[Die Kirchengemeinde] never judged me, but just graciously guided me along the way».