August 13, 2014
Current Events
Pastor T.W. Jenkins of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa was alerted by several church members to the local Tampa Bay Times obituary of Atwood’s son, Julion Evans, which said he was survived by a “husband.” Since Jenkins preaches against same-sex marriage, he immediately phoned Atwood to inform her it would be “blasphemous” to hold the funeral at his church.
“Based on our preaching of the scripture, we would have been in error to allow the service in our church,” Pastor 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.”
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| Julion Evans and Kendall Capers |
The deceased Julion Evans, 42, legally married his partner of 17 years, Kendall Capers, in Maryland before dying of an incurable and rare disease known as amyloidosis that affects the organs. Instead of being “Christ-like” and offering aid and comfort to a grieving mother who had just lost her son, Pastor Jenkins used what he considered to be the son’s “sin” as reason to turn his back on the family. Anyone with knowledge of Christ knows Jesus never turned his back on anyone, sinner or otherwise. Yet, Jenkins somehow convinced himself that his actions were the correct and “spiritual” thing to do.
Current Events
The abrupt cancellation left less than 24 hours for Atwood and her family to scramble for alternate funeral arrangements for her son. With nowhere else to turn, Atwood was forced to hold the next day’s services at the same funeral home, which caused some mourners to show up at the canceled church and miss the services altogether.
“It was devastating,” Atwood said. “I did feel like he was being denied the dignity of death.”
Ironically, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church is described on its website as a “Christ centered” and “biblically based” place of worship that offers ministries “open to visitors searching for a spirit-filled place to call home.” Hmmm…
