Conditional Welcome

Editor:

There’s a large sign above John Drive that reads “You Are Welcome Here.” It stands just behind the barbed-wire topped chain link fence surrounding 3Crosses / Neighborhood Church. 

Lead pastor Danny Strange seems to want LGBTQ folks to feel welcome at their church, but the welcome that’s offered is conditional. 

Recently Danny told me that “We have unity as a leadership around the Scripture’s teachings regarding same-sex relationships.” Which explains why church leadership turned away a gay couple who wanted to marry there. 

The couple left the church and were married at another local church by a former 3Crosses pastor who also left the “you are welcome here” church. The message that this scenario sends to the LGBTQ community is: “god supports our relationships and rejects yours.” 

To be clear, I don’t want to force this church (or any church) to do anything they don’t want to do. After all, religious freedom is important in this country, even when it includes anti-gay bias. But wouldn’t it be great if the largest and most popular church in Castro Valley was a welcoming and affirming congregation for everyone?  

I do want to make folks aware of where a church stands in our community regarding LGBTQ relationships. This church used to hold ‘Pray Away the Gay’ groups. Until 2019 their posted sermons included one titled “The Matter of Homosexuality” in which a 3Crosses pastor said that “god painted a picture” of the family, and gay families were apparently not in that picture. 

If you are reading this, you likely live in Castro Valley. And I’m guessing you have LGBTQ friends, family members, neighbors or coworkers. Why would you or anyone else want to support a church – no matter that church’s popularity - if they treat your gay friends differently than they treat you?

–Billy Bradford, Castro Valley