A Baptist minister who faced the sack over his support for same-sex marriage has won a reprieve after a meeting that was to be held today to decide his future was cancelled.
Lilydale Baptist Church has been in turmoil since senior pastor Matt Glover said on a gay website two months ago that he favoured same-sex marriage.
Conservatives have accused him of ”opening the door to sin”, while activist Christian group Salt Shakers asked followers to pray that God would ”improve or remove” him, Mr Glover says.
Lilydale Baptist has a strong community presence, offering financial services, counselling, an op shop, cafe, food bank and welfare assistance. Besides the usual youth and play groups, it has a Burmese congregation and a Tuesday night meeting of ”hard-core” music fans.
”It’s certainly not a bunch of homophobes,” Mr Glover says.
When he became senior pastor two years ago, he was open about his 15-year ministry to gays and lesbians.
”I’ve met many who have had faith in the past but because of their sexual orientation have been isolated from church and family. I felt a burden to stand in the gap between the church and person,” Mr Glover says.
Gay and lesbian people have worshipped at the church.
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