ARLINGTON, Texas, Aug. 10, 2007
Church Nixes Memorial For Gay Veteran
Family Enraged After Texas Megachurch Cancels Funeral Services For Gulf War Navy Veteran
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Kathleen Wright, of Arlington, Texas, sits in the family room as a photograph of her brother, Cecil Howard Sinclair, who recently passed away, is shown at rear, Friday, Aug. 10, 2007. Wright and family relatives say that they are upset that a megachurch, High Point Church, canceled Sinclair's memorial service without an explanation 24 hours before it was to start. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
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Officials at the nondenominational High Point Church knew that Cecil Howard Sinclair was gay when they offered to host his service, said his sister, Kathleen Wright. But after his obituary listed his life partner as one of his survivors, she said, it was called off.
"It's a slap in the face. It's like, `Oh, we're sorry he died, but he's gay so we can't help you,"' she said Friday.
Wright said High Point offered to hold the service for Sinclair because their brother is a janitor there. Sinclair, who served in Desert Storm, died Monday at age 46 from an infection after surgery to prepare him for a heart transplant.
The church's pastor, the Rev. Gary Simons, said no one knew Sinclair, who was not a church member, was gay until the day before the Thursday service, when staff members putting together his video tribute saw pictures of men "engaging in clear affection, kissing and embracing."
Simons said the church believes homosexuality is a sin, and it would have appeared to endorse that lifestyle if the service had been held there.
"We did decline to host the service — not based on hatred, not based on discrimination, but based on principle," Simons told The Associated Press. "Had we known it on the day they first spoke about it, — yes, we would have declined then. It's not that we didn't love the family."
Simons said the decision had nothing to do with the obituary. He said the church offered to pay for another site for the service, made the video and provided food for more than 100 relatives and friends.
"Even though we could not condone that lifestyle, we went above and beyond for the family through many acts of love and kindness," Simons said.
Wright called the church's claim about the pictures "a bold-faced lie." She said she provided numerous family pictures of Sinclair, including some with his partner, but said none showed men kissing or hugging.
The 5,000-member High Point Church was founded in 2000 by Simons and his wife, April, whose brother is Joel Osteen, well-known pastor of the 38,000-member Lakewood Church in Houston. Now High Point meets in a 432,000-square-foot facility in Arlington, near Dallas.
Wright said relatives declined the church's offer to hold the service at a community center because they felt it was an inappropriate venue. It ultimately was held at a funeral home, but the cancellation still lingered in some minds, she said.
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See all 173 Commentsdied, how could the church help him? The church
is not to and should not support the gay lifestyle
The foundation of America is christianity and is what makes one an American. Christianity is a way
not a religeon, as some would have you think. Many
in this country are Americans and some are merely
U S born, and yes, atheism is a religon, worshipers of money. No true atheist ever died broke. Give the church a break and let the dead bury the dead, not that I think the fellow deserved to die, he did'nt. Funeral homes are the place to have a service for the dead. Churchs are the place to celebrate life, and being gay is nothing to celebrate, its too bad the church did'nt have the oppertunity to help the fellow change his mind about being gay, but it was a choice he made. Whats next, condemn the church for
not holding a memorial for a pedophile or murderer?
I just wrote an email to this director at High Point Church. This whole story made me sick.
Posted by Keithle1 at 08:56 AM : Aug 12, 2007
Thank god I'm an atheist.
Being a partner with Bro John Osteen,after his passing I was pleased to see Joel take the reins. April came to Arlington with Gary,,however Gary is not Joel. I supported this Church out of reverance for Bro John.
Perhaps because my tithes were 'anonymous' as the Holy Bible states to do,,I was denied because they found no record of me at the new J&J building?
Either way, the Holy Bible says to go to the elders of the Church in need,,I did so and was denied. And then Cecil lied. I was forced t have a garage sale inside my apartment,,raised enough for a storage unit,,the maintence men moved my items from Palos Verde on Thanksgiving.
What has this world come to when the Church is not there in time of need? A wealthy townhome unit like Palos Verde evicts a disabled grandmother on Thanksgiving? I dont understand anymore.
There is a special (Christian) hell for these "Christians" and their apostate "ministers". Man are they going to be surprised the first few times satan bends them over and rams that fork up their sorry azzez. I will be ROFLMAO
Posted by caldwellptr at 10:00 PM : Aug 11, 2007
There is no such thing as "luck" when Judgement comes,it all boils down to did you accept Jesus or not
Ms. Miers was nominated by Rev. Bush to be a Supreme Court justice, but had to decline the nomination rather than face congress in confirmation hearings. Then, this month, she simply didn't SHOW UP at a hearing for which she was subpoenaed.
Hers is typical of the character of the members of this corporate church.
They like to talk a lot about love and peace - but, as this demonstration of hatred and intolerance clearly demonstrates - it's all just talk.
Posted by jankebenz at 08:41 PM : Aug 11, 2007
But you have to admit they had some pretty good songs!! LOL
Serious now...I am glad this story made the news and I hope that it bites that church right where it hurts them...in their wallet. I hope people leave this church and find a better one if they need organized religion. I wish more stories of the horrors of certain organized religions were published to make people aware of what may be going on in their own church. Shame on you Rev. Gary Simons.
This church must worship thier mega building and standing among other like-hating congregations more.
I'm sure that adulterers, drug addicts, liers, cheaters, theaves and the like are served by ths church in this time of need.
Will this pastor and church face God for the many seeking GLBT people who will now never feel welcome and so may hear the message of salvation?
Everything about this is wrong no matter where you stand on the issue.
Posted by hereticzero
That statement classifies you as a deciever, not a minister of any biblical based church -jankebenz
This is a slap in the face to Jesus himself. How far is the religious right going to drift from his principles before we - the fair minded, soft spoken, true moral majority - can have him for ourselves?Posted by fryedbread at 07:44 PM : Aug 11, 2007
Nobody has Jesus to themselves, he came for ALL,that " whosoever would believe in him would have eternal life " His principles were and are " repent , trust and obey "
Jesus did not differentiate between right, left, and center but does divide " goats (the stubborn )and lambs " ( those who hear his voice and follow ) He also said " I am the way the truth and the light, No one comes to the Father ,But through ME " not Peter, not Paul, not Mary or anyone else or believe or religion.
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