Radical US pastor who inspired Israel Folau and his church denied entry to Australia
The American preacher with millions of followers who helped inspired Israel Folau’s Truth Of Jesus Christ Church has been denied a visa to enter Australia - and he’s hopping mad about it. SEE THE SCATHING SERMON.
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The radical American preacher who inspired Israel Folau has taken aim at the Australian Government after he was apparently denied a visa to enter the country.
Pastor Gino Jennings, who has caused significant controversy in the United States for previously referring to women who wear tight clothes as “hoes” in his sermons, had applied for a visa to preach in Sydney and Perth in the next fortnight.
In a rant during a live streamed video from a sermon in Nassau, Bahamas this week, Jennings said like Folau – who was sacked by Rugby Australia following a homophobic social media post and is suing them for $10 million - he was being punished for his beliefs.
“To my viewers who are watching live from Australia, your government, your embassy, don’t want to grant the old troublemaker a visa,” Jennings said on stage.
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“Physically I’m in no shape to go anyway, but because the devil is fighting so much, I’m just not willing to tap out. I have more of a drive to go to Australia and hop around with the gospel like a kangaroo in the wilderness.”
The Truth Of God has events planned in Perth Town Hall (October 25-27) and Redfern Town Hall (November 2-3), and Pastor Jennings said if he was banned from entering Australia his associates who have already obtained visas would be preaching on his behalf.
Folau, who has modelled his Truth Of Jesus Christ Church on Jennings’ and posted the pastor’s sermons on his Instagram page, began following his teachings nearly two years ago but has not met him in person.
“The Australian embassy is already trying to keep us from coming into their country,” Jennings said.
“Different brothers who are going, they had no problem getting their visa, but I received an email that ‘We cannot approve your visa at this time’.
“The truth of God program has become very popular in Australia, to the degree that one national sports figure (Folau) who played the sport of rugby, one of the highest paid sports figures in Australia, got a hold of this message; believed it, accepted it, wanted to obey it.
“Well, somehow or another the homosexual question came up, and the brother stood up against homosexuality there in Australia and as a result, his team penalised him.
“They asked him, why is it that he believe that men should not marry men. He said ‘Well, my leader and my teacher in America, Pastor Jennings, preach [sic] against it and he showed us in the Bible.
“Now, I never met the brother. But there are thousands of members of the Truth Of God around the world that I haven’t met, and this brother was one of the highest paid sports figures in Australia.
“Well, his team fired him. All of his endorsements dropped him. But he refused to compromise his stand on Biblical principal.
“I challenge every political figure in all of Australia to have a face-to-face discussion using the Bible, because the homosexual question is not a political argument, it’s a Biblical argument, because God spoke about it first.
“When there was no democrats, no republicans, no congress, no parliament, certainly there was God. And I issue the challenge to all the politicians in Australia.
“Australia, we’re looking to be there with you. We’re looking to be in Perth first, then we’re looking to be in the capital in Sydney.
“So I pray that God give us victory.”
Jennings said another preacher would spread the message of his church should he be refused entry.
“My brother Williams’ visa was approved wasn’t it, so if I don’t get a chance to go because of the government, then I’m not going to cancel the meeting,” Jennings said.
“Brother Williams’ visa has been approved and he will still go, and he will bring the same thing from the ground that we’ve been bringing from the air.
“Any time a government don’t want you in their country because of what you stand for, not because you did anything wrong, but because you believe in the God of Abraham, and you believe in the law God implemented, the law of marriage was not implemented by no earthly government.
“The law of marriage was instituted by God himself.
“So this is where we’re at with the Australia situation.
“If you look at the governments of America and around the world is going, they talk free speech, but what they’re really trying to do is dictate your speech.”
The Department of Home Affairs had not responded to questions about Jennings’ visa claims by the time of publication.
Originally published as Radical US pastor who inspired Israel Folau and his church denied entry to Australia
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