Baptist Church Cancels Funeral After Discovering Deceased Was Gay

  A Tampa church in Florida US canceled the funeral of a man the night before the ceremony was set to go ahead after finding out he was gay.

Julion Evans had died from Amyloidosis, a disease which attacked the body's organs.

His husband Kendall Capers and family had planned to bury the 42-year-old at the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.




But just hours before the solemn ceremony, church members read Evans' obituary and saw Capers described as the "surviving husband."

They phoned the family to say the funeral could not continue, telling Evans mother, Julie Atwood it would be "blasphemous" for her son's funeral to be held at the church.

WFLA Church pastor TW Jenkins says, " I try not to condemn anyone's lifestyle, but at the same time I am a man of God and have to stand upon my principles." 

WFLA New Hope Missionary Baptist Chruch in Tampa, Florida, refused to bury a man because he was gay.

She said she was told the news as she stood at her son's casket.

Atwood told WFLA the news was "devastating."

Church pastor TW Jenkins told KSDK, " I try not to condemn anyone's lifestyle, but at the same time I am a man of God and have to stand upon my principles."


The service eventually went ahead at the funeral home.