Chip Gaines talks about healing and restoration amid LGBT controversy

"Fixer Upper" host Chip Gaines said that humanity has never been more divided in the past year, so he wants to be part of the healing and restoration process and help initiate conversations between people who disagree with each other.

In a blog post titled "New Years' Revelation," Chip stated that he and his wife will not be a part of the division, and he hopes that people will "move forward, to heal and to grow."

Chip and his wife, Joanna, gained media attention in late November when it was revealed that they attended the Antioch Community Church, in which the pastor preached against homosexuality and gay marriage.

The Fixer Upper host did not directly address the controversy, but he emphasized that people who are different should be treated with dignity and with love.

"Joanna and I have personal convictions. One of them is this: we care about you for the simple fact that you are a person, our neighbor on planet earth. It's not about what color your skin is, how much money you have in the bank, your political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender, nationality or faith," he wrote.

Chip stated that he and his wife felt that their calling is to be bridge builders, and they want to initiate conversations between people who disagree with each other.

"You wanna talk about how to build bridges between people that disagree? We want to be a part of that conversation. Do you want to talk about healing and compassion and kindness and restoration? We're in the restoration business, we can for sure make time for that," he said.

Chip insisted that disagreement should not be considered as hate. He went on to say that his family wants to keep working towards a world that can disagree lovingly.

Joanna announced a few week ago that they have started filming season 5 of "Fixer Upper" amid uncertainty about the fate of the HGTV show. A new season usually airs in the winter months between the end of November and early December. Fans of the show have speculated that season 5 will return in November 2017.

Shortly after the controversy broke, HGTV issued a statement to assure its viewers that the network does not discriminate against the LGBT community.

The American Family Association and the Family Research Council have launched separate petitions in support of the Gaines couple.