An evangelical church in Indiana has stirred national condemnation following a sermon that urged the Trump administration to impose the death penalty on LGBTQ individuals. The incendiary comments were made by Stephen Falco, a preacher at Sure Foundation Baptist Church, during an event titled Men’s Preaching Night, according to WISH-TV 8 in Indianapolis.
Falco delivered his sermon, titled Pray the Gay Away, with vitriol, shouting from the pulpit:
“They’re all a bunch of f—–, that want to walk around, come on our streets, and demand our children. And we should look them in the eye and say, ‘No, you’re not going to have our children!’”
The event was reportedly livestreamed on the church’s official Facebook page, drawing immediate backlash.
In a statement following the broadcast, the church doubled down on Falco’s comments, claiming he was merely advocating for what they see as biblical justice.
“He is only calling for the death penalty and suicide for the actual sodomites (homosexuals),” the church wrote. “The Bible teaches that those people are worthy of death. They are supposed to be executed by the government. We are not to take the law into our own hands.”
Members of the LGBTQ+ community were appalled. One individual interviewed by WISH-TV said:
“Children are targeted silently and violently. These children don’t know social constructs until we teach them that. And, so, when we’re teaching them through hate and disguising it as scripture, what we’re doing is abusing them.”
Community faith leaders swiftly denounced the rhetoric. Kyla Russell of WISH-TV reported that the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis criticised the message as “theologically irresponsible and pastorally dangerous,” affirming their commitment to “dignity, inclusion, and justice for all people, including their LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters.”
The video of the controversial sermon remains available online and continues to circulate across social media platforms, fuelling further debate and concern.
