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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAnti-LGBTQ preacher can't find a new location for church after eviction: 'No one will lease to us'
In a video posted to one of his YouTube channels, far-right anti-LGBTQ pastor Jonathan Shelley said he's going to have to find a new location for Stedfast Baptist Church because nobody really wants to lease to us," adding that Stedfast Baptist Church has also been hit with a lot of legal fees."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/anti-lgbtq-preacher-can-t-find-a-new-location-for-church-after-eviction-no-one-will-lease-to-us/ar-AA15sm1g
As Only Sky's Hemant Mehta points out, Shelley has given sermons where he's celebrated the murder of LGBTQ people and called for the deaths of abortion doctors, and has even regurgitated conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook massacre.
Likely as a response to his sermons, the church was evicted from its location in Hurst, Texas, back in February.
"Its not clear where Shelley would find a new home or who would be foolish enough to rent him space. No amount of rent money is worth the negative publicity that would come from allowing his church to spread hate on your property," Mehta writes. "But for Shelley and his New Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (New IFB) colleagues, location doesnt matter nearly as much as their online reach. Live-streaming sermons on YouTube matters far more than having some space inside a strip mall, and theyve evaded YouTubes repeated bans on their channels so far."
Lunabell
(6,138 posts)These people are sick.
BlueWaveNeverEnd
(8,145 posts)With the sound of LGBTQ+ protestors in the background, Shelly told his videos viewers, So obviously weve been protested, you know, like, every single week for, really, years at this point, and it doesnt seem like its going to change anytime soon.
The reality is, you know, nobody really wants to lease to us, so it makes it very difficult, he continued. I am still working on a few options. Weve been hit with a lot of legal fees and all kinds of different issues.
He then told people who want to be a part of his hateful church, Its never been a better time. Our church is growing. We have a lot of people that love the Lord.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hate-pastor-says-church-must-relocate-after-latest-landlord-refuses-to-renew-lease/ar-AA15sLH4
LakeArenal
(28,867 posts)lpbk2713
(42,773 posts)I don't call that "growing" when you got booted out of your house of worship.