My pastor was interviewed by the NY Daily News. Here is the article.
Not all Harlem pastors have a problem with an upcoming gay pride picnic.
A openly gay Harlem pastor said he plans to host a service in Marcus Garvey Park during the second annual Harlem Pride event later this month.
"My church will be there in full force," said Pastor Joseph Tolton, who says about 90% of his congregation at Rehoboth Temple Christ Conscious Church are members of the LGBT community.
Tolton's picnic plans come after some pastors complained about the event - including Pastor Ronald Ferguson of Antioch Church of God on W.124th St., who compared gay behavior to being a pedophile or having sex with an animal.
"This gay pride nonsense is an abomination," Ferguson told the Daily News, adding he won't leave his house that day and expected parishioners to follow his lead. "God does not want to see homosexuals in our parks."
Tolton extended an offer to the pastors who opposed the event, saying, "They need to come. They need to see us worship."
Harlem Pride organizer Carmen Neely confirmed they are discussing with Tolton "the possibility of a service."
The uptown pride events are slated for June 24 to 26. The picnic is June 25.
The Rev. Michael Walrond Jr. of First Corinthian Baptist Church on W. 116th St. said he doesn't have a problem with the picnic.
"I honor and respect their right to do what they want to do," said Walrond, adding "a lot" of his congregation is gay. "I trust God will lead them....My task is to love them," said the married pastor.
"It takes no courage to stand in the firing line to shoot people down," Walrond said, adding he believed the pastors' strong criticism was because "they are afraid of someone labeling them."
The Rev. Calvin Butts of Abyssinian Baptist Church also had no issue with the picnic.
"It's a free country and they certainly have every right to be in the park," Butts said. "Spewing out venom like that does not help to foster the kind of communal spirit that we so desperately need."
The Rev. Earl Kooperkamp of St. Mary's Episcopal Church said many of his members annually attend the gay pride festivities downtown - and that he would now encourage them to attend the uptown festivities.
"Now we don't have to go all the way downtown, we can celebrate gay pride right here in the neighborhood," said Kooperkamp. "I think it's a good thing."
Watch this Video!
Want to attend Rehoboth Temple?
310 West 139th street
New York, NY 10030
Service begins PROMPTLY at 1:15PM
Not all Harlem pastors have a problem with an upcoming gay pride picnic.
A openly gay Harlem pastor said he plans to host a service in Marcus Garvey Park during the second annual Harlem Pride event later this month.
"My church will be there in full force," said Pastor Joseph Tolton, who says about 90% of his congregation at Rehoboth Temple Christ Conscious Church are members of the LGBT community.
Tolton's picnic plans come after some pastors complained about the event - including Pastor Ronald Ferguson of Antioch Church of God on W.124th St., who compared gay behavior to being a pedophile or having sex with an animal.
"This gay pride nonsense is an abomination," Ferguson told the Daily News, adding he won't leave his house that day and expected parishioners to follow his lead. "God does not want to see homosexuals in our parks."
Tolton extended an offer to the pastors who opposed the event, saying, "They need to come. They need to see us worship."
Harlem Pride organizer Carmen Neely confirmed they are discussing with Tolton "the possibility of a service."
The uptown pride events are slated for June 24 to 26. The picnic is June 25.
The Rev. Michael Walrond Jr. of First Corinthian Baptist Church on W. 116th St. said he doesn't have a problem with the picnic.
"I honor and respect their right to do what they want to do," said Walrond, adding "a lot" of his congregation is gay. "I trust God will lead them....My task is to love them," said the married pastor.
"It takes no courage to stand in the firing line to shoot people down," Walrond said, adding he believed the pastors' strong criticism was because "they are afraid of someone labeling them."
The Rev. Calvin Butts of Abyssinian Baptist Church also had no issue with the picnic.
"It's a free country and they certainly have every right to be in the park," Butts said. "Spewing out venom like that does not help to foster the kind of communal spirit that we so desperately need."
The Rev. Earl Kooperkamp of St. Mary's Episcopal Church said many of his members annually attend the gay pride festivities downtown - and that he would now encourage them to attend the uptown festivities.
"Now we don't have to go all the way downtown, we can celebrate gay pride right here in the neighborhood," said Kooperkamp. "I think it's a good thing."
Watch this Video!
Want to attend Rehoboth Temple?
310 West 139th street
New York, NY 10030
Service begins PROMPTLY at 1:15PM
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2 comments:
NICE
I know Pastor Ferguson he knows my family very well i"m not surprised that he would say some dumb shit like that this is exactly why I don't go to my church now because they probably have the same beliefs as he does
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