ick ' s ▁calls ▁for ▁volunte ers ▁to ▁be ▁bapt ized ▁with ▁the ▁intent ▁of ▁insp iring ▁genu ine ▁sp ont aneous ▁bapt isms . ▁▁ ▁Charlotte ▁resident ▁Warren ▁Cole ▁Smith , ▁writing ▁about ▁F urt ick ▁for ▁World ▁magazine , ▁said ▁" Pe ople ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁exc use ▁his ▁fl am boy ance ▁and ▁extra v ag ant ▁l ifest yle ▁by ▁saying ▁but ▁‘ He ’ s ▁doing ▁such ▁great ▁work .’ ▁Now , ▁this ▁new ▁controvers y ▁calls ▁into ▁serious ▁question ▁the ▁legit im acy ▁of ▁conversion ▁rates ▁the ▁church ▁have ▁been ▁claim ing ." ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁initial ▁coverage , ▁E lev ation ▁released ▁a ▁statement , ▁which ▁reads ▁in ▁part : ▁" We ▁are ▁confident ▁that ▁those ▁who ▁attend ▁E lev ation ▁Church ▁know ▁and ▁understand ▁our ▁mission ▁and ▁vision ▁for ▁reaching ▁people ▁for ▁Jesus ▁Christ . ▁As ▁at ten de es , ▁they ▁are ▁provided , ▁through ▁week ly ▁teach ings , ▁bib lic al ▁context ▁for ▁everything ▁we ▁do ▁and ▁practice , ▁such ▁as ▁bapt ism , ▁giving , ▁serving ▁and ▁inv iting ▁friends ▁to ▁church ." ▁ ▁Local ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁L GB T ▁community ▁and ▁L GB T ▁media ▁have ▁also ▁critic ized ▁the ▁church ▁for ▁its ▁general ▁st ances ▁on ▁hom osex ual ity . ▁A ▁former ▁at ten de e ▁who ▁is ▁gay ▁spoke ▁out ▁after ▁E lev ation ▁hosted ▁Ted ▁H agg ard , ▁a ▁former ▁evangel ical ▁pre acher ▁who ▁stepped ▁down ▁from ▁his ▁position ▁after ▁being ▁accused