Andrew Caldwell became a viral sensation when a video surfaced of him declaring,”I’m not gay no more! I’m delivered! I don’t like mens no more!” at a Church of God in Christ conference in St. Louis. He recently reached out to a Richmond, Virginia TV station to discuss what has happened to him.
When asked if he was performing some type of comedy routine, Caldwell says, “I was serious. I did not want to go viral. I did not expect to go viral. I did not want to get up there and just say anything and look crazy in front of thousands of people. I went up there because I needed prayer that day. I needed so much prayer.”
Caldwell reports that Pastor Earl Carl gave a speech at the event that made him feel pressured after calling gay people in the church “sissies” and making the suggestion that they should “bleed from their bu—.” Carter exclaimed, “I don’t hate gays. I’m just like the doctor who hates disease, I fight the disease. My gospel is like chemotherapy. We try to get to the disease.”
The Church of God in Christ issued a formal apology regarding the remarks through Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., who states, ” As presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ I apologize for what seemed to be a harsh, uncompassionate, disrespectful spirit on the part of that speaker. I also apologize to Andrew Caldwell. We love all people regardless of their faith or their moral standing.” Caldwell was not impressed by the apology, stating, “They think that they can preach the homosexuals away in the Church of God in Christ, and you can’t.”
When asked if he was, “delivered there on the spot,” Caldwell states, “No, that’s not the case. I still have desires.” He also reports regretting what happened because his life is in danger. He was recently attacked in a mall parking lot by two unidentified men and called homosexual slurs. In a Facebook post, Caldwell writes, “Ever since I talked about my deliverance from the sin of homosexuality, I have been receiving threatening messages by email and social media. I fear for my life. I have been physically and verbally attacked. I feel that I will have to do whatever it takes to protect myself.”
Caldwell reports, “That video caused a lot to me…mentally and physically. I feel that, if I was delivered, God should deliver me more. But I know it takes a process. But I think it is going a little bit slow. I want God to work on my mannerisms. I want God to stop the switching…talking like a women.”
