Cam Newton Asks If Gay People Can Go to Heaven—Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell Explains His Answer

Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton put a direct question to pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell during a recent Funky Friday interview: "Are homosexuals going to heaven?"

Mitchell, founder and lead pastor of 2819 Church, answered by pointing to repentance, faith in Jesus Christ and turning from sin. But his subsequent explanation introduced a distinction central to the exchange: following Christ, he said, does not necessarily mean same-sex attraction disappears.

The interview, released October 30, included a discussion of sexuality and salvation approximately 96 minutes into the nearly three-hour conversation.

According to ChurchLeaders' November 2 report, Mitchell described knowing people who had committed their lives to Christ but continued to experience same-sex attraction. He said his pastoral responsibility was to teach Scripture and encourage holiness rather than compel them to become heterosexual.

"My job as a pastor is to help them follow a life of holiness and purity," Mitchell told Newton.

That explanation shifted the discussion from who can enter heaven to what repentance means when a person's attractions remain unchanged. Mitchell's position distinguished experiencing attraction from acting on it, allowing for the possibility that a Christian might continue facing those desires throughout life.

"They may have that urge for the rest of life, but if they don't act on it, they don't sin before God," he said.

His wording also leaves a question about Christian identity. Mitchell initially used the expression "former homosexual" when describing someone who repents and follows Christ. Yet he subsequently acknowledged that such a person might continue experiencing same-sex attraction. Within his explanation, "former" therefore cannot automatically be understood as a claim that the attraction itself has ended.

The exchange exposes a practical challenge for churches that hold Mitchell's sexual ethic: explaining precisely what they expect to change at conversion and how they will support believers whose attractions persist.

Mitchell compared the issue with a heterosexual Christian's struggle with lust. His comparison placed sexual temptation within the broader demands of Christian discipleship, rather than presenting it as a struggle confined to gay people.

The pastoral implications extend beyond a statement about prohibited conduct. For someone whose same-sex attraction continues, Mitchell's teaching could entail lifelong celibacy. His comments consequently invite scrutiny of how a congregation provides friendship, belonging and sustained care for people living under that expectation.

Newton's questioning brought those implications into a public conversation. Mitchell maintained his understanding of repentance and sexual holiness while acknowledging that conversion may leave a person's underlying attractions unchanged.

The most consequential point in his answer is that distinction-and the responsibility it places on churches to explain what faithful discipleship looks like over an entire lifetime.