Posted on 08/08/2014 6:38:41 PM PDT by markomalley
Julie Atwood was standing at her son's casket when the phone rang. The church where her son's funeral was scheduled to be held the next day decided to abruptly cancel the service, after the pastor learned the deceased was gay and his obituary listed a surviving "husband."
Atwood said she was told it would be "blasphemous" to hold the services at the church because her son, Julion Evans, 42, was gay.
"It was devastating," she said. "I did feel like he was being denied the dignity of death."
Evans' husband, Kendall Capers, says the pair were partners for 17 years and married last year in Maryland. Evans died at home after a 4-year battle with a rare illness called Amyloidosis, which destroys organs in the body.
He says the obituary named him as "husband," and that their marriage was no secret.
"Everyone who knew us knew about our relationship," he said. "We didn't keep secrets."
The family asked for Evans' funeral to be held at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa.
Atwood, Evans' mother, says she was baptized at the church as a child and several of her family members still attend. Atwood's current pastor agreed to preach the funeral, but they needed a large church, like New Hope, to accommodate hundreds of mourners from across the country. New Hope agreed and the service was scheduled for July 26.
But when the obituary published in the local newspaper, everything changed.
T.W. Jenkins, pastor at New Hope says was not aware of that Evans had a husband or was gay until members of his congregation saw the obit and called to complain. They did not think it was right to have the funeral at their church.
Jenkins said his church preaches against gay marriage.
"Based on our preaching of the scripture, we would have been in error to allow the service in our church," Jenkins said. "I'm not trying to condemn anyone's lifestyle, but at the same time, I am a man of God, and I have to stand up for my principles."
Because of the late change of plans, Evans' family scrambled to make new funeral arrangements, with less than 24 hours to prepare. They were unable to notify everyone, though, and some mourners showed up at the church and missed the funeral.
Capers said that was the worst part. He wanted the funeral held in a church but said he would have understood the church's position. But to cancel during his husband's wake, he said, was disrespectful and wrong.
"This is 2014, this is not the 60s or the 70s, Capers said. So at the end of the day I just want his wrong-doing to be exposed.
The church couldn't honor God and acknowledge a "husband". They did the right thing.
If they only burred non-sinners, their graveyard would be empty.
No, he’s suffering in Hades now.
Re: “The church couldn’t honor God and acknowledge a “husband”. They did the right thing.”
Was the church being asked to “acknowledge” the “husband” during the service? If so, then I would agree with you, but I’m not sure from the information given in the article that that was the case.
How would they have to acknowledge the “husband”? Couldn’t they just call him by name and not give him any title at all?
If forced to hold the funeral, the pastor could’ve said he was now suffering because of his lifestyle. Proper thing to do.
Yes, they were. The church couldn't honor God and acknowledge a "husband". They did the right thing.
Bravo!
I think the pastor could have spoken with the parents of the dead son and explained that while a funeral service could be given, he could not, as a Christian minister, acknowledge the “husband” during the service. If that was acceptable to them, the service could have preceded. If that was unacceptable to them, then the pastor did the correct thing.
How do you comfort the broken heart in this case? You can't tell them that their loved one is in Heaven and they will see him there some day. And it would just seem cruel to tell them the truth, that their loved one will suffer an eternity of torment because he loved his sin more than he loved his soul.
Excellent point.
Three deaths in the family, all the memorial services in church, deceased barely mentioned, not Catholic.
Re: “Yes, they were. The church couldn’t honor God and acknowledge a “husband”. They did the right thing.”
That’s my question - were the parents asking the pastor to acknowledge the “husband”? That is not all that clear from the information given.
Atwood's current pastor agreed to preach the funeral, but they needed a large church, like New Hope, to accommodate hundreds of mourners from across the country. New Hope agreed and the service was scheduled for July 26.
I know for a fact he was not forgiven by G-d because of the Torah.
There is only one sin that is unforgivable. But for a sin to be forgiven, the person must repent. That does not just mean asking for forgiveness - it means to turn away from sin, to stop engaging in the sin. Since this man was "married" to his homosexual partner, there is nothing to indicate that he repented of his homosexual activity. And once he died, the opportunity for forgiveness was past.
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