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Erin’s Response to Knoxville Pastor’s Hate Speech
As Adopted by the Session of Erin Presbyterian Church on 6/26/2019

Recently, several local and national news outlets reported on a sermon delivered by a local pastor. The sermon condemned members of the LGBTQ+ community and advocated for their arrest, trial and death in the name of God. As a body of Christian believers, we feel strongly that it is our duty to make known the following:

• We are deeply grieved by all hate speech and the pain it causes to the LGBTQ+ community.
• We are deeply grieved by this misrepresentation of Christianity and the shadow it casts on all Christians.
• We unequivocally believe the message of Jesus Christ is love and acceptance of one another.
• We do not share the belief that church and government should be one.

The Vision of Erin Presbyterian Church—”Unified in Christ, we actively seek to create harmony in a diverse community through compassion, mutual respect, and love“—is something we at Erin take seriously and try to live individually and corporately every day. One of the core values that we affirm and strongly believe is that God loves all people equally and calls us to love all people equally and to demonstrate our love through attention to their wholistic needs. Our doors are open to all who truly seek a relationship with God and want to join with us in this spiritual journey that is Christianity.

We offer our prayers, compassion, and love to the LGBTQ+ community and all of those hurt by this sermon and all hate speech. Although we strongly condemn hatred and disagree with those who advocate it, we continue to pray for them as well.

Erin Presbyterian Church