Samford turns away Episcopalians, Presbyterians from event due to LGBTQ views, activist says

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Samford turns away Episcopalians, Presbyterians from event due to LGBTQ views, activist says

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Samford turns away Episcopalians, Presbyterians from event due to LGBTQ views, activist says
The Presbyterian Church (USA) and U.S. Episcopal church have stances supporting same-sex marriage.

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Alabama Life & Culture

Samford turns away Episcopalians, Presbyterians from event due to LGBTQ views, activist says

Updated: Sep. 13, 2022, 10:26 a.m. | Published: Sep. 12, 2022, 4:42 p.m.

By Greg Garrison | [e-mail]

A campus minister at Samford University turned away Presbyterian Church (USA) and Episcopal Church college chaplains that asked to be included in a recent campus ministry fair because the two denominations have stances supporting same-sex marriage, according to the founder of SAFE Samford, an LGBTQ rights group.

Brit Blalock, who founded SAFE Samford in 2011 (Students, Alumni and Faculty for Equality), said that Madison Vaughn, ministry coordinator for the Ukirk campus ministry representing the Presbyterian Church (USA), had tried to reserve a table at the Church & Ministry Expo event held on Aug. 31 on campus. ... Blalock said that the Presbyterian Church (USA) and Episcopal Church college chaplains had taken part in previous ministry fairs at Samford with no problems.

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After Vaughn shared plans to attend the event on social media, Collette received a call from Samford University Campus Pastor Bobby Gatlin “uninviting” her to the event, Blalock said. ... “He was explicit in saying that the reason was her denomination’s affirmative stance on LGBTQ people and did not mention any policies she was in violation of,” Blalock said. ... The Rev. Joe Genau, pastor of Edgewood Presbyterian Church in Homewood and supervising pastor of Ukirk Campus Ministry, confirmed that Ukirk was not allowed at the event.

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Gatlin and Samford University’s Director of Public Relations Holly Gainer did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the university.

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