Joshua Bassett, one of the stars of Disney’s “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” got baptized at Bethel Church in Redding, California, on the evening of Sunday, Feb. 12. Bassett posted a clip of his declaration of faith in Jesus at the church on his TikTok, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
“My name is Joshua,” said Basset after taking the stage to explain why he wanted to get baptized, “and long story short, I grew up Christian, and I ran the other way as far as I could go in pursuit of ‘truth’ and that only ended in addiction, depression, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, etc. And no other teacher gave me anywhere near the peace that Jesus Christ did. And I’m here to publicly declare him as my Lord and Savior.”
— Joshua Bassett (@joshuatbassett) February 13, 2023
Joshua Bassett Gets Baptized at Bethel
Joshua Bassett stars as “Ricky” in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” on Disney+. He released his first single, “Common Sense,” in 2020. His single, “Lie Lie Lie,” featured on his first EP (released 2021), went viral due to rumors it was connected to his alleged relationship with fellow “High School Musical” cast member Olivia Rodrigo. Bassett released his fourth EP, “Different,” in October 2022.
Bassett has shared publicly that he was sexually abused as a child and a teen and that he has struggled with anxiety and depression. In 2021, he came out as a member of the LBGTQ+ community.
On Jan. 5, Bassett posted a tweet saying, “Jesus Christ is the only way. His death and resurrection are historically documented. turn away [from] hate, seek forgiveness and come home to Him.” At the end of January, the singer posted in his Instagram stories, describing some encounters with God that he had had.
Many congratulated Bassett on his baptism in the comments on his new video, yet many also expressed concern about his association with Bethel. “Hey josh this church promotes conversion therapy and is extremely questionable,” said one Twitter user. “happy for you for finding something you believe in but please do more research. your queer fans are counting on you to promote the right ideals here.”
RELATED: Bethel Church on Homosexuality: Jesus Showed Us How to Disagree But Love
“Proud of you!!” said another fan. “But this church doesn’t have the strongest doctrine, try finding another one.”
Another fan was less direct: “So happy for you! but always do a little research on the church you’re going [to] and always read the Bible to know if what the pastor preaches goes according [to] the word of God. Love you.”
After posting his video, Bassett posted a follow-up comment stating, “I visited this church and happened to get baptized here- I was unaware of some of their policies and beliefs, and do not endorse all of them. my heart is for Christ and Christ alone!”
Others encouraged fellow fans to simply be happy for Bassett instead of criticizing his decisions. “CONGRATS JOSH!!” said one follower. “Gods [sic] been using you in an amazing way and I can’t wait to continue to see how he works through you!!”
