HOUSTON – The video, captured during a sermon at the Love and Liberty Fellowship Church in Houston, shows pastor and gospel singer Kim Burrell making comments about her beliefs on homosexuality.
"That perverted homosexual spirit in the spirit of delusion and confusion has deceived many, many men and women," Burrell said in the sermon.
The video has since gained national attention, and Burrell is now the center of the controversy.
Celebrities like Pharrell Williams and Ellen DeGeneres are condemning the remarks. Ellen even uninvited the gospel star to appear on her show, making the announcement on Twitter.
But local pastors are now adding in their own beliefs, standing up for Burrell.
"When we preach sin, we preach all sin," Bishop Dr. Kendall Baker said.
The pastors say they believe what the Bible teaches.
"Homosexuality is a sin, according to the Christian beliefs," Bishop Emanuel Berry said.
As a pastor, Berry says it's his responsibility to fight for what the Bible teaches.
"If you're too afraid to stand up to God, you need to hang up your cloth, put your Bible down because you're preaching for money. And you're not preaching for morals," Berry said.
These pastors say they have nothing but love for the LGBTQ community but they have a right to their beliefs and freedom to express it.
"So what's next? You going to have a policy up in the church, saying you can't preach this sermon, you can't preach that sermon? What's going to be next now?" Pastor Demetrius Smith said.
Local LGBTQ activists have responded to the pastors:
"The use of religion to homophobia or trans-phobia doesn't make it OK or acceptable. It's still nothing less than homophobia and prejudice," Montrose Center Clinical Director Christopher Kerr said. Kerr acknowledges that the pastors do have a right to freedom speech, but says everyone else has a right to call for action because of that freedom.