Everyday Sunday: Christian rocker Trey Pearson says he never wanted to come out as gay

The musician said he had been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support since making the announcement

Trey Pearson said be found strength in the bible (Facebook)

Trey Pearson said he never wanted to be gay.

As lead singer of the popular Christian rock band Everyday Sunday, he fought against his feelings and feared that both his friends - and God - would think poorly of him. He even got married, to Lauren, and became the father of two children.

But Mr Pearson revealed this week that he was unable to subdue his sexuality. In a letter to his fans that was at times both moving and optimistic, he said he could no longer ignore his true sexuality.

“I have intensely mixed feelings about the changes that have resulted in my life,” he wrote in a letter first published by the Religious News Service.

“While I regret the way I was taught to handle this growing up, how much it has hurt me and the unintentional pain I have brought Lauren, I wouldn’t have the friendship I now have with her, and we wouldn’t have our two amazing, beautiful children. But if I keep trying to push this down it will end up hurting her even more.”

In an interview, the musician and singer said he had been overwhelmed by messages of support from people, both supporters and other members of the public. The messages have further persuaded him that his decision, however difficult to make, was the correct one.

“It has been truly unbelievable how positive it has been. I did not know what to expect,” he told The Independent. “I have received so many positive messages. I have also had some negative ones, but they have been drowned out by the positive ones.”

Mr Pearson, 35, who has enjoyed success in both the Christian music charts as well as the Billboard Top 200, said he took to the bible to see what it said about homosexual desire and concluded that verses addressing the matter do not specifically proscribe a loving relationship with another man. Among those who have voiced support for him is Vicky Beeching, the British Christian rock star who is huge in the US and came out as gay in an interview in 2014.

He said he was upset that some people turned to the bible to try and justify bigotry. “It is to change those views. It has existed for more than 1,000 years and allowed to build up,” he said.

Mr Pearson said he and his wife - who he told about his true sexuality six months ago - were no longer living together but that they remained close and were raising their two children. He said the process had been very hard for her. He said they were still trying to find their feet but that she remained his “best friend”.

Mr Pearson’s public declaration could imperil that musical success, columnist Jonathan Merritt wrote for Religion News Service. Several other Christian musicians who came out as gay - Ray Boltz, Anthony Williams, Jennifer Knapp, Vicky Beeching - have seldom played on Christian radio stations since acknowledging their sexuality.

But Mr Pearson said that he had spoken to many individual DJs who had been supportive of his decision. He said he had not yet spoken to the radio station managers.

The musician said that he was currently single. He said: “I thought I should still just give myself a chance [to get used to the situation. I’m still working out who I am.”