Joshua Bassett has distanced himself from Bethal Church hours after revealing his baptism.
The 22-year-old actor - best known for his role as Ricky Bowen in Disney+ show 'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' - was met with criticism after tweeting a video of him being baptised at the church in California, which is reportedly a non-denominational, charismatic church which believes in conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ people.
Taking to Twitter on Monday (13.02.23), Joshua wrote: "i visited this church and happened to get baptized here- i was unaware of some of their policies and beliefs. and do not endorse all of them. my heart is for Christ and Christ alone (sic)"
Conversation therapy, which is widely discredited, is the practice of trying to "cure" someone of their sexual orientation or gender identity and it has been condemned by both the World Health Organization and the United Nations.
This year, Joshua has become more vocal about his beliefs on social media, and in a tweet on January 5 he urged his Twitter followers to "come home to Him".
He tweeted: "Jesus Christ is the only way.
His death and resurrection are historically documented. turn away form hate, seek forgiveness and come home to Him. (sic)"
And shortly before distancing himself from Bethal Church, he wrote about the gospel.
He said: "the gospel is GOOD NEWS for all willing to love and obey Him who keeps your heart beating (sic)"
In May 2021, Joshua revealed he is a member of the LGTBQ+ community.
He said at the time: "I am anti–coming out in the sense that there’s no need to. People are welcome to have boxes if they want them.
“There are plenty of letters in the alphabet ... Why bother rushing to a conclusion? Sometimes your letter changes, sometimes you try a different one, other times you realise you’re not what you thought you were, or maybe you always knew.
"All of these can be true. I’m happy to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community because they embrace all. Don’t let anyone tell you love isn’t love. They’re the ones who probably need it the most.”
