Nick Jonas Says Church Exit, Family Upheaval Shook His Faith During Early Fame [WATCH]

Nick Jonas says his faith was tested during the early years of the Jonas Brothers’ rise, after his family was forced out of their church and lost their home while the band pursued a music career, as reported by  Fox News.

Nick, now 33, discussed the experience during a recent appearance on the Jay Shetty Podcast, describing how the family’s long-standing ties to their church unraveled at the same time his career was beginning to take off.

Nick Jonas with Jay Shetty. His full interview on the “On Purpose” podcast is out now. pic.twitter.com/j40vg5y0AD

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At the time, Nick and his brothers Kevin Jonas, 38, and Joe Jonas, 36, were teenagers trying to break into the music industry.

Their father, Kevin Jonas Sr., was the senior pastor at Wyckoff Assembly of God in Wyckoff. Nick said his father had served the church for a decade before tensions escalated shortly after the Jonas Brothers signed with Columbia Records in 2005.

“Our dad was at that church for 10 years,” Nick said. “It was a real safety net for us and a place where we felt a part of a community.”

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Nick said opposition within the congregation eventually led to his father’s departure.

“Some of the families that were there prior to our arrival did not like my dad and made it their mission to get him pushed out of the church,” he said. “So effectively, he lost his job while also funding this dream of ours.”

Because the family lived in a church-owned parsonage, Kevin Sr.’s resignation also meant losing their home.

“We had to move out of our home because we were living in the church parsonage, which is owned by the church,” Nick said. “We moved into basically a little house in a place called Little Falls, New Jersey.”

Nick said the homeowners allowed the family to rent the house for almost nothing while they tried to get back on their feet.

At the same time, the Jonas Brothers were touring New Jersey high schools to promote their music. Nick said that during those early tours, he began experiencing unexplained health problems that were later diagnosed as Type 1 diabetes.

“We would show up at 8 a.m., load in our own gear, and play a 30-minute assembly,” he said. “Around this time, I’m starting to lose weight. I’m thirsty all the time. I’m using the bathroom all the time.”

Financial pressure also mounted after the band released its debut album, It’s About Time, in 2006. Columbia Records declined to continue their contract after the album underperformed.

“We got dropped after our first album came out and we were hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, credit card debt, money that we did not have because there’s no money in in ministry really,” Nick said.

“We had to sort of figure something out.”

Nick said the combination of illness, financial strain, and losing their church community caused him to question his faith.

“It all kind of collided at the same time,” he said. “It took a lot of faith, and even questioning faith at that time, going from the safety net of the church to all of a sudden being sort of betrayed by them.”

The band’s fortunes changed in 2007 when they signed with Hollywood Records, part of the Disney umbrella.

“Thankfully, we got a call from Hollywood Records,” Nick said. “And a couple weeks later, they had us on the Disney Channel, and things just started going.”

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Looking back, Nick said his belief in God remained intact despite his struggle with organized religion.

“Throughout those years following our exit from the church, I really questioned faith,” he said. “Knowing that my relationship with my God is totally intact and that my belief is totally intact.”

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