A member of a Summerside, PEI church is speaking out against a social media post he calls “homophobic” and is looking for a new faith community.
In the post, Summerside Community Church directs followers to a June 17 webinar offering “practical tips for parents and grandparents to protect children from what happens during Pride Month.”
The event featured British Columbia pastor Kevin Kavanaugh interviewing Wilna Van Beek, author of When the Gay Comes Home, who details her journey working against her same-sex bias by embracing Jesus instead.
Steven McIsaac is a member of PEI’s LBGTQ community and has attended Summerside Community Church for several years. He said he was shocked and hurt by the post.
“The post they shared on Facebook is very homophobic in my eyes and very much leaning towards conversion therapy,” McIsaac said.
Conversion therapy refers to practices that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation to heterosexual, change an individual’s gender identity to cisgender, or change their gender expression to match the gender they were assigned at birth.
It has been banned in PEI since 2019 and was made illegal in Canada in 2021.
“I’m disappointed, you know, the leaders of the church that you look up to and go to when you need somebody, a little bit of comfort – knowing that’s how they look at me and everybody in the community, it’s very disheartening,” McIsaac said.
This post from Summerside Community Church, regarding a June 17 webinar offering tips on how to “protect” children during Pride Month, has since been removed from public social media channels (CBC)
MacIsaac has been sharing his own message of love and acceptance on his social media pages since the post — and has even made a shirt to promote that message while out in the community. The t-shirt reads “LGBTQ+ or Straight, Jesus Loves All.”
He said he is now looking for a new church to join where he will feel welcome just the way he is.
“If I had known that was how people in my situation were viewed, I would never have gone to that church,” McIsaac said.
“They can apologize, but I still know how they feel. So they will waste their breath. I will not come back.”
“We Trust God’s Design”
A Summerside Community Church leader offered no apology for the post, which has since been removed from the church’s website and social media.
Pastor Tracy Linklater told CBC News that the purpose of the webinar was to provide a space to talk about sexuality and gender from a Christian perspective. She said anyone is welcome to visit her church.
“We’re Christians, so we trust God’s design for sexuality and gender,” says Pastor Tracy Linklater, shown in a photo posted on Summerside Community Church’s website. (Summerside Community Church/website)
“We understand that people come from different perspectives on life. We understand that,” Linklater said. “But we also understand that we are Christians, so we trust God’s design for sexuality and gender. And this is what we stand on, is his design. But we welcome everyone to hear Jesus’ life-saving and life-changing message.”
Linklater does not specify what she means by “God’s plan for sexuality and gender,” nor does she share her church’s views on conversion therapy.
“There is so much surrounding the issue of conversion therapy that I would prefer not to comment further on the matter,” Linklater said.
She said the church has received mixed reviews for its post about the event, and she understands some people — including those outside her church community — aren’t happy with the post.
We always say, “There are many churches, and we encourage you to find a place where you feel safe and where you feel at home.” This is very important to us.- Pastor Tracy Linklater
When told that at least one member of her congregation plans to find a new place of worship, Linklater said that sometimes happens.
“We’re an open community, we’re a loving community, and we realize that people, you know, sometimes, you know, they might realize that’s not the place,” Linkletter said.
“And we always say, ‘There are many churches, and we encourage you to find a place where you feel safe and where you feel at home.’ That’s very important to us.”
Confusion and concern
For Scott Allen, youth program coordinator at PEERS Alliance, a group that supports members of the LGBTQ+ community, the tone of Summerside Community Church’s post caused some confusion — and concern.
“We wondered what they meant by ‘how do we protect the children,'” Allen said.
“What do you think Jesus would do?” asks Scott Allen, youth program coordinator at PEERS Alliance, a group that supports members of the LGBTQ+ community. “Would he cast the first stone? Or would he love and accept our community as we are?” (Jessica Doria-Brown/CBC)
“They are more than welcome to have their beliefs. What worries us more is when they start forcing these beliefs on society and make us all try to follow their personal rules and beliefs. We just want to let people be who they are and express themselves freely and openly and celebrate that,” Allen said.
He said it was disappointing to see a church suggesting that children needed protection from celebrating different gender identities.
“I grew up always believing that the church was a place where people could experience love, community and acceptance. So to see the complete reversal of the church is a little upsetting,” Allen said.
He pointed out that a recent article in the Canadian Medical Journal reported that youth who are trans and queer are five times more likely to have suicidal ideation than youth who are not. They were also much more likely to attempt suicide, the article said.
It’s vital to have safe places where people can be celebrated for who they are, Allen said.
“What do you think Jesus would do?” said Allen.
“Would he cast the first stone? Or would he love and accept our community as we are, with the hope that the Holy Spirit will work through us? And that’s literally what I would ask them,” he said.
How to get help
If you are considering suicide and need immediate help, or know someone who needs immediate help, here are some resources.
- Children’s Helpline: 1-800-668-6868 or text through their website.
- Canadian Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-833-456-4566 or text (45645)
- PEI Hotline: 1-800-218-2885.
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