A group of Springfield churches has come together for a discussion on best ways to respond to what they see as hateful and harmful rhetoric directed toward the LGBTQAI+ community.
The gathering Sunday night was described as the biggest meeting ever locally of “open and affirming” congregations. Seven churches took part, including First Presbyterian Church downtown, which hosted the event.
Attendees pointed in particular to recent unsubstantiated claims by a local pastor alleging that a transgender person had exposed themselves to a child in a locker room in Springfield – and a column by Catholic Bishop Thomas John Paprocki in which he appeared to defend laws in Uganda criminalizing homosexual acts in that country.
The assembled churches talked for more than three hours, brainstorming ideas on how to counter what they call “lethal” theologies.
