The sanctuary was once a place where souls came to be transformed by the Spirit of God, where reverence met repentance, and where the presence of Christ was both sought and honored. But now, in the case of West Hill United Church in Toronto, we are witnessing the tragic transformation of that sanctuary into a stage — a literal clown show. A drag clown, complete with full makeup application during the service, is being platformed not only as a performer, but as a future church leader. Let that sink in.
Julian Munro, known by the drag name “King Julez,” is not simply another performance artist pushing boundaries for shock value. Julian is a Master of Divinity student at Emmanuel College and a candidate for ordination in the United Church of Canada. In other words, this isn’t a side act. This is the future of the pulpit at West Hill and, increasingly, other churches like it. And if that doesn’t grieve your soul, it should.
During a recent service, Julian — who identifies as a “drag clown” — proceeded to put on full clown makeup during the sermon, describing it as a “visual metaphor of transformation.” Not a transformation by the renewing of the mind, as Romans 12:2 teaches. Not a turning away from sin and self toward the cross of Christ. No, this was a display of self-transformation, a celebration of pe ...
