Controversial Sermon at Sure Foundation Baptist Church Sparks Backlash

 

    INDIANAPOLIS - On June 29, Stephen Falco at Sure Foundation Baptist Church delivered a sermon titled "Pray The Gay Away" that has drawn widespread criticism for its inflammatory remarks about the LGBTQ+ community.

    The sermon, part of a "Men's Preaching Night" event streamed to Facebook Live, featured Falco accusing the LGBTQ+ community of targeting children and making multiple disparaging statements.

    "There's wicked that's gone in this world, y'know, we have a lot of [expletive] that want to come around, walk on our streets," Falco said loudly as he knocked on the pulpit. "And demand our children, and we should look them in the eye and say, 'No, we're not gonna let you have our children! We love the Lord, Jesus Christ, we're gonna protect the innocent, we're gonna protect those that cannot protect themselves.'"

    "Why do I hate sodomites? Why do I hate [expletive]?," Falco continued. "Because they attack children, they come after your children, they are attacking them in schools today, and not only schools and public places, and they're proud about it!"

    Falco went on to say that, "There is nothing good to be proud about being a [expletive]. You're gonna blow yourself in the head, in the back of the head. You're so disgusting."

(UPDATE) "I will not apologize": Sure Foundation Baptist Church Defends Sermon Calling for Death of LGBTQ+ People

    According to The Trevor Project's 2024 National Survey,  39% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in 2023. 12% of youth surveyed have made a suicide attempt in 2023.

    Kyla Russell, who covered this story for WISH-TV, contacted the church about Falco's sermon. In the excerpt aired, the church said Falco was "...only calling for the death penalty and suicide for the actual sodomites (homosexuals). 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."    

    While Leviticus 20:13 includes this command, it's part of the Old Testament Mosaic Law. In Christianity, this has been superseded by the New Covenant described in Hebrews 8:13, which states, "By calling this covenant 'new,' he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear."

    VBN has reached out to the church, but hasn't received a response.

    According to WISH-TV, The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis have issued the following statement:

    “The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis stands firmly against the harmful rhetoric recently preached that condemned all LGBTQ individuals to hell and instructed people to stay away from them. Such messages are not only theologically irresponsible but pastorally dangerous. The pulpit must never be used as a weapon to dehumanize, isolate, or incite fear. Jesus said in John 12:47, “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” The Gospel of Christ is good news for everyone, not a tool to pronounce damnation on any group. The Black Church, born in the crucible of oppression, must never mimic the very spirit of exclusion that once rejected us. We are called to be a sanctuary for the marginalized, not a platform for prejudice. We reject the notion that LGBTQ individuals are outside of God’s reach, grace, or redemption. True holiness is not about who we hate; it is about how we love. While we affirm that sin exists in all of us, we also affirm that God’s grace extends to all of us. Our mission is not to decide who is beyond salvation, but to embody the inclusive love of Christ. Let it be known: the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis will continue to stand for dignity, inclusion, and justice for all people, including our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.”