Church Is 'Not Gay Bashing' in Sign Denouncing Gay Scout Leaders, Says Florida Pastor
A Florida pastor whose church has garnered controversy for posting a sign denouncing the idea of the Boy Scouts of America having gay scout leaders says that the sign is "not gay bashing."
K.C. McCay, pastor at The Congregational Church of Nokomis, recently displayed an LED sign comparing the notion of gay scout leaders to a fox entering a hen house.
McCay told The Christian Post that the sign came in response to BSA President Robert Gates' recent call for allowing openly gay individuals to become scout leaders.
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"Having been a Boy Scout, a Scoutmaster for many years, a father to two Silver Palm Eagle Scouts, and having been molested by a scout leader in my youth, I felt I had a responsibility, right and duty to speak up," McCay asserted.
"After writing a letter to Gates of BSA, I received no reply. So I placed this message on my sign."
McCay also told CP that he changes the church's LED sign "weekly to include as many as 10 to15 new messages about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His hope, and our responsibilities."
"It is typically peppered with many different subjects that we face today. I changed the sign to include this message on May 30," McCay continued.
"I changed it again yesterday, but kept this message and added another calling out of BSA executives. I have no definitive time as to how long it will stay."
The sign's message has garnered much criticism, especially from LGBT activist groups offended by the comparison of gay scout leaders to an animal predator.
In an interview with local media, Sarasota, Florida, activist Jeanie Keenan described the sign as "hateful" and "ill informed."
"If he wants to be a community leader be a community leader for good, not for hate," continued Keenan in comments given to WTSP.
The sign has also accrued negative reactions on social media, as various individuals have posted comments about the church on Facebook.
Regarding the reactions, McCay told CP that he was "surprised" and that the sign was never meant to be an example of "gay bashing."
"While I personally and biblically disagree with the gay movement and do not condone their actions, I recognize their freedom of expression and opinion. They need to recognize ours," McCay added.
"God loves them and died for their sin, just like He did mine, through Jesus Christ His Son. Our church has made it clear on the sign that we love all sinners in Christ, including gays."
McCay also told CP that he believed the critics of Congregational Church's sign have "missed entirely" it's point.
"This is not about the total gay community. I never called or referred to all gays in general as 'predators' or 'animals.' But we all know that some are, simply by weakness," he said.
"I question the BSA's commitment to its own principles in the protection of our male youths 18 and under when they consider this issue. I believe they are politically yielding for self-preservation rather than focusing on their primary responsibility of youth protection."
This is not the first time that Congregational Church has found itself in controversy over a sign they posted.
In 2006, as the nation neared the fifth anniversary of 9/11, the church put on their then marquee sign "Muslims Can Convert to Christianity Here."
While done in response to a public call from a Texas man for Christians to convert to Islam, the marquee sign was met with criticism by a chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Venice Interfaith Community Association.
