“Bullet In The Brain”: Hate Preacher’s Chilling Threat To LGBTQIA+ Pastors
Pastor Dillon Awes of the Stedfast Baptist Church in Watauga, Texas, recently delivered a sermon calling for the execution of LGBTQIA+ pastors. Awes, who is part of the New Independent Fundamental Baptist (New IFB) movement, expressed his outrage at Christian churches that affirm and welcome LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Awes was responding to Pastor Charles Andrew Stanley’s decision to invite a married same-sex couple to speak at a conference. He accused the couple of trying to “defile children” with their message.
“These guys should get a bullet in their brain, that they should get the death penalty not be preaching behind the pulpit,” Awes said.
He went on to criticise the progress made in LGBTQIA+ rights and the inclusion of queer people in churches. Awes blamed pastors like Andy Stanley for enabling what he sees as the abuse of children by “pedophiles” and “sexual predators”.
It is important to note that while Awes accuses LGBTQIA+ individuals of harming children, he rarely addresses the many cases of child sexual abuse within Christian churches.
This is not the first time Awes has made such comments. In the past, he has called for the criminalisation of homosexuality and said that allowing women to preach is like “spitting in the face of God”.
Locals in Watauga have protested the church’s hateful messages. They believe that such language should not be protected just because it comes from a church.
The New IFB movement is known for its extreme views against LGBTQIA+ people, Jewish people, and women. Unlike mainstream Baptist churches, New IFB preachers openly call for the execution of LGBTQIA+ individuals. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled the Stedfast Baptist Church as a hate group.
