“I‘m gonna pray first, I hope you guys don’t mind,” said Redmond pastor Ken Hutcherson at the start of a meeting he’d requested with The Stranger staff at our offices on April 22.
“Lord,” Hutcherson said, “thank you for the opportunity to express ideas and get answers.”
Hutch, as he’s known to most people, had a lot of ideas to express. Ideas about masturbation, evolution, journalism, Matthew Shepard’s “irritating” behavior, and, most important to Hutch on this day, proper sexual conduct for students at Seattle Pacific University. He felt he had to “come face-to-face” with The Stranger in order to share those ideas, and he also wanted to learn more about an article I published on March 30 titled “The Secret Sex Lives of SPU Students.”
Hutch didn’t believe I’d been fair to SPU; he thinks the majority of the school’s students are just as chaste as he—or, in Hutch’s telling, He—demands. But Hutch also expressed alarm at a possible lack of leadership at SPU that could be leading to unholy student sex (“The leadership needs to take more responsibility”), and he had a message for students at SPU who, as they recounted in their own words in “The Secret Sex Lives of SPU Students,” have been having a lot of premarital sex in direct violation of school rules.
Hutch’s message: Be more like Hutch.
“I was a renegade when it came to sex,” Hutch said of his youth. “I was the guy on campus who thought I should conquer every woman who walked by… Until I met Christ, and [then] that attitude had to change.”
The meeting with Christ happened when he was 16, Hutch said, and as soon as it occurred, he stopped having sex. Full stop. Did Hutch even allow himself to masturbate? “Thank you very much, I did not,” he said. “Can you masturbate without lusting?”
His sexless life went on for 17 years, Hutch recounted, until he was married at age 33.
“The issue was obedience,” Hutch said. “There are certain things I’m going to do and not do as a Christian, regardless of how strong my body acts. Because I have said I believe in Bible.”
What else does Hutch believe?
According to Hutch, dinosaurs and humans lived together on this planet at the same time.
“Absolutely,” Hutch said. “Pretty difficult for dinosaurs to get on the ark with Noah and not both be on the earth.”
He continued: “The earth is probably, biblically, six thousand, seven thousand years old, a young earth. And during that time, even Noah, even Adam, if you look at the Bible and the years that they lived—at the end of the antediluvian period, early antediluvian period, uh, antiquity, early antiquity—there’s man and animal. Both walked together. All the way back. Because they was created at the same time in seven days. Absolutely, baby. Isn’t it sweet?”
Uh. Okay. But back to sex: What does Hutch say about SPU students who aren’t being Hutch-like with their young bodies? Simple: “They’re sinners.”
Also a sinner in Hutch’s brain: Matthew Shepard.
“Matthew was a person who irritated a lot of people,” Hutch said, dismissing parallels between the deadly violence Shepard experienced and the violence other marginalized Americans have experienced, sometimes with the tacit approval of bigoted religious leaders.
Hutch continued with his sinner list: gay students at SPU, Stranger staffers (duh), and certain members of his own Antioch Bible Church. “Do you believe that everyone at Antioch, my church, is following all the biblical rules?” Hutch asked at one point. “No! We have to discipline people almost every year and kick ’em out when they don’t repent. Should I change the rules?”
His answer was quick and merciless: no.
While Hutch was on the subject of gay SPU students, he made clear to us that he’s unhappy with a decision made earlier this year by SPU officials to relax their own rules and allow a gay student group, Haven, to use campus meeting rooms. “If I was president, it wouldn’t have happened,” Hutch said.
Stephen Michael Newby, an associate professor of music at SPU and director of the school’s Center for Worship, joined Hutch partway through the meeting with The Stranger.
Asked about life at SPU since the publication of the article, Newby said things like “It is the community’s responsibility to be concerned for the concerns that are on the table, and that is my concern.” On Hutch’s worry that SPU leaders may be failing their students: “Perhaps we should explore having a dialogue on that.” On next steps: “I would really like to consider inviting Eli, in a room, where we can sit you down where we can have our camera and our crew around you.” Newby hoped Hutch would be there, too. After all, Newby said, Hutch is a good role model for SPU students and “a friend of the university.” 
Video on the right, you can also watch the video HERE.
Ugh, what even needs to be said? This man has so little impact on my life and the lives of my friends…. He’s an ignorant bigot, and his beliefs are going the way of the dinosaur (w/o the benefit of a boat)!
Hutch, don’t let the door hit you on the wa–… oh, fuck it.
Shame on this man who calls himself a “man of God”, yet announces to the world that “his” God hates Gay people. I’m not sure what Diety he and his parisioners pray to…but I positively know it’s not God. This man is a Self absorbed ego maniac who feeds off of media coverage to spread his poisonous spirit. I denounce this EVIL man! May God have mercy on your soul, you miserable excuse for a pastor!
I find it creepy when old guys wear nothing but jackets.
Hutch never said “his God hates gay people”
Like Hutch or hate him at least get the facts straight.
Hutch has never said “God hates Gay people”
Love Hutch or hate him at least get your facts straight.
So who’s the guy on the right?
That’s Newby.
A pair of giant sized carnivorous reptiles on a boad full of animals seems like a supremely bad idea. So does creation science explain mass extinctions in terms of “that dumb T-rex ark idea”.
I had no idea how hateful the gay community truly was until I heard their outrage over choice.
I expected a longer article – can we get access to the video?
The whole concept of “expelling” someone from a church is abhorent to me. God loves everyone, and Jesus would never turn his back on anyone who wanted to come in, sit down, and be a part of the family. It is tough to be a Christian when pastors like Hutch are spouting off – he doesn’t represent my faith!
Jaymz,
If you read through the bible thre are many instances where Jesus “expelled” those who were in sin.
You are correct in saying that Jesus would never turn His back on anyone who wanted to come be part of the family. However if one does become “part of the family” Jesus also instructed His followers in right and wrong and would not tolerate sin.
God loves us all, that’s why he died for EVERYONE. So God loves sinners (any type of sin…homosexuality or otherwise) and he died for us all. But he EXPECTS us to change when we enter a relationship with Him.
This it what bugs me about many in the gay community…trying to call people like hutch out as “haters of gays”. When really, Hutch tries to live according to the righteousness outlined in the bible and Hutch doesnt expect any of you to understand that because God is the only one that can change you…not Hutch.
It’s just his job to tell the truth and pray that God breaks into people’s lives.
Consier this verse:
John 6:44 – No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
No one can make you believe anything…or change your ways for that matter. I was like this before God got hold of me too…I hope and pray He helps some of you see the truth as well some day.
jaymz, as a result of choosing homosexual activity my son is now participating in a lifestyle that exposes him to a high probability of contracting AIDS. Where is the selflessness and sacrifice for the wellbeing of others in that?
@11: I hope in the name of flowing God’s holy word that if you have kids and they month off to you, you will.do the Biblical mandated thing and.stone them to death. And even if you don’ t have kids, I sincerely hope for your sake (and the state of your.soul) that you’be been through your closets and refrigerator with a fine-tooth comb to remove the abominations of poly/cotton clothing.and.prawns, respectively. Or are you in Satan’s thrall too?
Okay, well if the brontosauri were on the Ark too, then it had to be waaaay bigger than I imagined. I mean, seriously, it had to have like, 100 times bigger than an aircraft carrier. How do you keep a brontosaurus in its pen when it gets restless?
@12 I feel very sorry for your son. Because he has you as a parent.
Jaymz, if you choose to be part of a church like that, you choose to be at risk of being expelled over random interpretations of morality. It’s one of many reasons why mainstream and liberal churches exist.
I will only address the doubters of dinosaurts on the Ark… No where in the account of Noah and the Ark does it state that the animals taken onto the Ark were full grown, adult animals. Eggs travel, quite nicely as it turns out.
Hutch doesn’t hate gays nor does God. Same Sex attraction is not a sin, it is a disordered attraction. The attraction by itself is not a sin, but if acted upon that is a sin.
Homosexual activity as described in the New Testament and Old Testament is severely against God’s will and you will not enter Heaven if you persist in this disordered behavior.
We all have many crosses. For some it is same sex attraction, for others it is anger issues, others it is drinking too much alcohol or any action that goes against God’s will.
All homosexuals will inherit Heaven if they believe and accept Jesus Christ as their savior and repent from their sins. If they do not repent, there is no salvation. God respects our free will. We choose Heaven or Hell by our actions. God doesn’t send anyone to Hell, but we by our actions against God send ourselves to Hell.
To the doubters of dinosaurs on the Ark:
No where in the accounts of Noah and the Ark does it state that the animals were full grown, mature animals. Eggs travel quite nicely, not to mention compactly.
As a Christian I do believe the earth is millions and millions of years old, and I also believe the Bible does not count days from a chronological sense as we count them today.
So much hatred against Hutch or any Christian who holds God’s views. For all you gays out there who have AIDS, the vast majority of Gay men who have aids would not be alive if it were not for the thousands of Christian volunteers who donate countless hours serving them in Hospitals. Last year, I personally logged over 100 hours of service to AIDS patients alone. Christians dominate the service to AIDS patients, Cancer Patients, Homeless, single mothers who need help. We provide food, clothing, medical help, counseling and temporary housing to those in needs.
Without us Christians and our strong faith in Christ to serve others, millions of people would be without the basic neccessities of life.
Stop the hatred and increase love despite our differences. Our views do not come from hate, but from a God who loves you and wants the best for your lives, and we have free choice to choose our own path or God’s path for our life. With His path, we will gain Heaven. With your own path, you will not.
How does one tell a female dinosaur egg from a male dinosaur egg? In order to ensure they had one of each. Just asking?
@12 That’s the most ungenerous, uneducated, hateful thing I’ve heard a “person” say in quite some time. He’s your son, dude!
You need to get educated. First of all, being in a different group as far as health *statistics* does not reflect on one’s ethical makeup. Also, who you’re attracted to is not a choice. You know this, because your attractions were not choices either, right?
So, get to studying and also hang out with him to try to feel more comfortable and understand things better. He’s done nothing wrong; it’s up to you to do the work on YOUR feelings of discomfort. OK, dad? Go be a dad. And use PFLAG to talk to other dads with gay sons:
http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid…
Sigh. I know this is hard, but some people do not believe in the existence of God. They aren’t mad at some Christian, they didn’t have a terrible experience at a church. They just don’t believe. Perhaps they think it is lunacy? To many of those individuals religion is something to be kept private and thus the enthusiasm of some to “witness” is obnoxious and frustrating, that is stating it mildly. They wish to be left alone. They wish that their lack of hospitality for evangelical witness would garnish the shaking the dust off of the evangelist’s feet. It is Biblical after all. It is best to take your opinion or “message” to those who wish to hear it, and stop insisting that actions that appear un-loving to one’s neighbor are loving because you believe them to be. They aren’t loving, because actions speak louder than words. They don’t see the love.
That said, thank you for sharing your opinions or “messages”.
@20.. well well well..it’s nice to know that all my dead friends had loving christians that fed them, clothed them, visitesd them and comforted them..
..except most of my dead friends – and i’ve had way too many – didn’t . most of my dead friends were rejected from their christian families and their christian churches. some of them suffered and died rejected terribly alone. i’ve known aids patients that doctors wouldn’t see. i’ve known aids patients that lost their jobs and their homes. i know of aids patients that were denied visits from their partners. i’ve had three die in my family. all brothers. the first in a room in a flophouse in ny. the second mysteriously in d.c. and the third. well he couldn’t tell his mother what he had. at his funeral service no one was allowed to eulogize him lest some one slip and spill his secret.
the church was as late to the service of aids patients as our politicians were.
and even today the loudest judgement of gays comes not from buddhists,jews,agnostics or atheists but christians. chirstians don’t want us to marry, christians picket our funerals, christians don’t want us to teach children – theirs or ours. it’s american christian missionaries and evangelicals that fan the fire of homophobia abroad.. even unto the death of gays .i won’t even get into how many gays still suffer silently within the church, how gays within the church endure vociferous condemnation from the pulpit. i know some personally. my own pastor never condemned anyone except gays. and again from the pulpit and never lost any respect doing so.
frankly i think you ought to be ashamed. to list your services. to suggest that anyone owes you gratitude sounds haughty and full of pride. your last sentence reeks of condemnation and judggement.
and i say this as a christian who believes that the strongest love of humankind, which we are commanded to do, involves empathy, compassion, humility, tireless often thankless service,and, much much more often than not, silence.
@24, tell it, brother. Would love to hear you and Hutch go one-on-one.
Amen, brother riz, amen. you said it so beautifully.
and @12 is a troll.
As a bisexual man who mostly prefers the company of men to women, I find Ken Hutcherson hilarious. Unfortunately, he has some influence.
@24, Thank you.
@20, Actually, the Earth is billions and billions of years old, not millions and millions.
@ 20. Why don’t we thank the DOCTORS and the SCIENTISTS who advanced medicine to he point where people can survive with a disease as terrible as AIDS?
Thanks goodness they didn’t stop at studying the Bible and just pray for people to get better. Thank goodness they didn’t just LOVE away the virus… and all the other maladies that kill people everyday. Why is it so hard for people who believe in the Bible and God to see that the stuff people were wrong about 100 years ago is the same stuff people are wrong about today. The earth is not the center of the universe. The world is not 6000 years old. Acting on homosexuality is not a sin. All those qualifying details in the Bible probably aren’t even translated correctly from the original text. THINK.
What will the next generations of Christians hang on to?
And Paster Hutch, and all who think the earth is 6000 years old… If you don’t believe in radiogenic dating (which is what the earth’s age, the lifespan of the dinosaurs, and the appearance of humans in the fossil record), if you don’t believe in that use of radiogenic isotopes, then;
1. You don’t believe in X-RAYS.
2. You don’t believe in radiology.
3. You don’t believe in chemotherapy.
Be sure to inform your doctor of these facts when you get cancer, or break a leg, or have a perforated colon one day. They can gladly refer you somewhere that uses more godly technology.
#19…so, you’re saying the big argument among Noah’s sons each day was about who had to hatch the brontesaurus eggs?
Also…if the dinos survived the flood, shouldn’t they be here NOW? I don’t remember any mentions of velociraptors in the Gospels, let alone having seen any at the local game preserve.
Sorry, Eli, but this was really, really lame. You just went for the cheap shots (dinosaurs? come on).
Why not try to seriously engage Hutch on his own ground?
Ask him how he can celebrate Rush Limbaugh’s fourth marriage when Jesus specifically condemns remarriage as adultery?
Speaking of which, adultery is one of the ten commandments–you’d think Hutch could keep track of them. Ask him to quote what Jesus said about homosexuality (hint: nothing).
Ask him why, if Jesus was so concerned about rich people not getting into heaven, Hutch focuses his ministry on stigmatizing gays rather than stigmatizing the rich.
Ask him which of the laws in Leviticus his congregation is expected to follow, which they can ignore, and why.
Ask him why the most fundamentalist Christian cultures (South Africa and the southern United States) are the most racist.
Ask him, if the Bible is literally true, which came first, plants (Genesis 1) or humans (Genesis 2).
So many missed opportunities. All so you can be snarky about sex. He played you well.
Great. Another dumbass christian spouting his idiotic beliefs. Just what the world needed.
@18, you’re wrong. For Christians, even without acting on the attraction, it is a sin to have the lust in your heart.
Rev. Hutchinson is a poor representative of Christ. Not just because his science stinks and he’s full of bigotry, but because he doesn’t really understand his own theology.
He makes a number of basic errors, starting with the presumption that the Bible should be taken literally. It is allegorical. Hello! Christ spoke and taught in parables. Second, he picks and chooses which biblical laws he will follow and which he will discard – which is fine except that he denies others the same privilege.
Worst of all he neglects the primary teaching of the Christian faith: that we are ALL sinners and that only through acceptance of the unconditional love and sacrifice of Jesus can we be redeemed to a state of Grace and be worthy of everlasting life in heaven.
The goal is not to stop sinning – that’s impossible. This is the truth that Jesus taught – you can’t stop sinning because you have the impulse in you and the impulse by itself is a sin. Therefore, it is only through the sacrifice of Jesus – and the acceptance of that sacrifice – that people can be saved. The goal is for people to acknowledge their sin and to accept Jesus. The key is for people in Rev. Hutchinson’s role to welcome people unconditionally and guide them along the path of accepting the unconditional love and sacrifice of the saviour – not to pick and choose for himself who is worthy and who is not.
I’m not even a Christian and I know this. He’s sadly misguided.
@ #13
Read the verse in my post John 6:44. You prove that verse perfectly with your uneducated comments.
The reason we don’t stone people to death in this day and age for certain sins is because the old testament law is no longer in use today since Jesus Christ ushered in the new era of Grace.
If you were caught in homosexual behavior back in old testament times a death by stoning would have been the outcome…but not in our world today and you should be thankful for that.
God has grace and patience and he wants you to know His love, which is the only love that satisfies.
But if God hasnt opened your eyses yet then it will be impossible for you to see…I pray he does some day.
Also to those who say “well I was born with this attraction to same sex etc etc” Well I AGREE! God made you that way and some people have different likes/dislikes etc. But that doesnt mean its right to act on it! God wants you to rely on Him to take care of all your needs.
For instance, I was born with a VERY STRONG desire to have sex with beautiful women. But I don’t ACT on that desire because I know it would not please God to do so. Therefore I CONTROL myself and pray and let God take care of me when the urges get overwhelmingly strong.
Some people have a strong desire to grab a gun and shoot people at random…heck they were “born” with it!!! Well, it’s a sin to go shooting people for no reason and God expects us to control our sinful desires.
@35
I agree with you about coming to christ and getting unconditional forgiveness and that we are all sinners.
But once you become a christian don’t you think Christ wants you to change your ways if some of the things you were doing before you accepted His forgiveness were sin?
I used to drink alot and get drunk before I came to know Jesus. Afterwards it was a struggle and I didnt just change overnight…but I did change…and I was growing and eventually I kicked that habit. Now I dont get drunk anymore.
Likewise Christ expects you to change your ways as well once you accept him as savior. All of us sin, and we will continue to do so even after we become christians. The key is as christians we are constantly seeking forgiveness when we do sin, and constantly working on avoiding sin and getting rid of habitual sin. This is what Christ calls us to do. Consider these verses:
1 John 2:4
1 John 2:6
So if you think that you can accept Jesus Christ and then just keep on sinning I think you are fooling yourself. If you actually have accepted Christ you are losing many blessings and rewards by continuing to sin and not try to change.
Just to clarify on my post #36, I am a married man so God expects me to have sex with my wife and only my wife. Thus I am expected to not act on the desires I still have to engage with other women.
Just because I am a Christian it does not mean I am free from the desire to sin. I just try to make the right decisions when presented with the opportunity to sin. Sometimes I fail, and thankfully I can ask God to forgive me and I can keep striving to grow and sin less and less.
Jesus never fucking existed. End of story. You all can keep arguing with these christ-tards if you want, but its the same as trying to convince the legions of teenage tarts that vampires don’t exist and no, edward does not want to fuck you.
@38..
i’m a married man and god expects me to have sex with my husband and only my husband. that’s a struggle i can work with.
I think we are looking at a picture of the proverbial “missing link”… proof that there is such thing as evolution… or arrested development… or whatever…
SPAM ALERT ON AISLES 42 AND 43! SPAM ALERT ON AISLES 42 AND 43!!!!
@36: “Also to those who say ‘well I was born with this attraction to same sex etc etc’ Well I AGREE! God made you that way and some people have different likes/dislikes etc. But that doesnt mean its right to act on it!”
Let’s break this down:
1. God made gay people gay.
2. If gay people engage in gay behaviour – if they act in accordance with how God made them – God will punish them with eternal hellfire.
Dude, your God sounds like a fucking asshole.
P.S. I think Hutcherson’s alleged self imposed celibacy/abstinence wasn’t as self imposed as he is letting on… I mean- hell, look at him… Who would wanna have s(intimate relations)x with THAT?!!!
People like Hutcherson literally have nothing of value to contribute to adult conversation. I’m confused why media outlets continue to offer him and other bigoted, sado-masochists like him a platform. Really, the guy didn’t even masturbate for 17 years? Why even take a meeting with him, let alone publish a story about it. Doesn’t this guy have a whole church full of idiots to infantalize? I didn’t learn anything from this interview that I couldn’t have extrapolated simply by knowing his type.
@35 Charlie Mas, best post so far. Thank you for calmly and rationally setting it straight. The fact that you aren’t a Christian speaks to an ugly (but apparently frequently true) assumption I’ve had for quite some time…that for many people, their overt attempts to embrace an organized theology tend to end up warping their brains and actually magnify the worst aspects of their own personalities.
@45
Do I know why God did what he did? no…
He made me the way I am too and I could choose to use that as an exuse to sin but I try not to.
I know you wont understand this because you can’t at this point but I will say it anyway…
I believe God made us the way He did…and God allowed sin to come into the world so that we would learn that:
A. We need God – If we have free reign just to follow our feelings then we have no need for God.
B. God uses our sin and imperfections to prove to us that we need Him. In fact there is no way to get out from under the power of sin without God.
Bottom line for me is this:
Just because it feels good doesnt make it right. Who are we to be able to know what is right and what is wrong? If I just did things based on how I “feel” at the time I would have murdered all my co-workers at one point or another 😛
The bible is the final authority on what is right and what is wrong.
I know this sounds narrow minded and tough to understand…see john 6:44…so I dont expect you to understand it until Got allows you to.
@49: A loving God would not treat His creations the way that many Christians seem to think He does. He would not curse so many of His children with temptations towards sin and then punish them when they fail to resist the urges He has given them.
Your God is a trickster and a psychopath. “I’ll show them how much they need me; I’ll make them love me!”
I don’t need God to tell me not to lie, cheat, steal, or kill; or to tell me to be fair and just in my dealings. I just need love and compassion for my fellow human beings.
I know this sounds open-minded and tough to understand, so I don’t expect you to. Just stick to your book and let it tell you what is right and what is wrong; it is probably easier that way.
Well, this is a completely useless article. Wouldn’t it have been more interesting to try to look for common ground? Or to get a sense for Hutch as a human being? Or to make any attempt at all to surprise us? The only information conveyed by this article is that Hutchison is a fundie and the Stranger holds him in contempt, which is not new information. You’ve written interestingly an insightfully before, Eli, why not now?
@17
Wow, I actually did a spit take. That was hilarious!
Mental illness is sad.
@50
I like to debate so no hurt feelings here…but to your points:
Man brought sin into the world so all of the pain and hurt and misunderstanding we endure in this day and age is our fault.
God loved me and you so much that he sent His son to die a brutal death so that we would have a way to regain eternal communion with Him.
This communion can only be achieved by a choice you make…so although God can do many things, he won’t make you accept his free offering of redemption through Jesus.
You state “I just need love and compassion for my fellow human beings.”
I would argue that I am showing love to you right now by sharing who Jesus Christ is and what He did for you. You dont agree with this and only God can change your heart on the matter john 6:44 again.
You also state: “Just stick to your book and let it tell you what is right and what is wrong; it is probably easier that way.”
And I agree 100% and I am thankful that it’s easy…why would some want to make t so difficult?