'Offensive, false and inappropriate': Protest held over July 18 sermon at Crossroads Oakley
A group of people met at the corner of Madison Road and Vandercar Way waving pride flags and signs as morning service began at Crossroads Church Oakley behind them.
The demonstration was in response to a sermon given by a guest speaker on July 18 on the topic of gender identity and gender transitioning.
Ashli Kurzhals, who was at the service, said she was devastated and shocked.
"It felt like the rug was being ripped out from underneath me. I came here thinking it truly was an affirming, accepting church. And sitting inside that service last week, I was appalled, disgusted, and then devastated to see how many people stood up in ovation to the message," Kurzhals said.
An attendee at the rally who gave his name as Parker, a former Crossroads employee, showed up at the demonstration in his old Crossroads shirt and work badge.
He said after coming out to people at the church, he no longer felt welcome.
His friend, Erin Cox, a former Crossroads member and volunteer leader, described it as a "bait-and-switch." She said the church markets itself as progressive and accepting but doesn't provide a supportive environment for those who identify as LGBTQIA+.
"When I saw what they did, I said 'no way.' How they managed this was horrible. The rhetoric, everything they said on that stage, all the false information he gave. Everything was wrong, nothing was fact-checked," Cox said.
Like many other people at the protest, Cox said her biggest worry is the impact that sermon could have on LGBTQIA+ identifying youth.
"Someone who was sitting in that sermon who wanted to come out or transition is not going to feel they'll be accepted. What you're doing to LGBTQIA+ youth, to children, it's just not okay," she said.
She spoke with others at the protest about how homelessness is a problem among LGBTQIA+ youth because it's hard to find acceptance within their family and community.
Kurzhals agreed, adding, "it's that kind of damaging rhetoric that's further creating these horrible outcomes."
Holli Miller said she was a member of Crossroads for a decade and left the church after realizing her son was not accepted. She said her son's experience at the church led to him leaving his faith. "It's just horrible," she said.
What further upset Miller about the July 18 sermon were the statements about schools playing a role in "grooming" children towards a certain lifestyle.
"It was offensive, false, and inappropriate. I've been a teacher for 17 years. That was just wrong," Miller said.
At the protest, a list of LGBTQIA+ friendly churches in the Cincinnati area was passed out.
Jack Crofts, who organized the demonstration, said she doesn't want other people to feel the hurt of being invested in a church only to learn they're not welcome.
"We're trying to provide people with resources. We're not trying to change Crossroads' mind; we don't want them to apologize. We don't care what they believe. We want that information public so anybody coming in can make an informed decision," Crofts said.
"So many people were shocked and hurt last week because they didn't know what Crossroads stance was ahead of time. We just want to let people know and make it clear, so no one has to go through that again."
In a statement to the Enquirer, Brian Tome, the senior pastor at Crossroads Oakley, said Crossroads does want to make LGBTQIA+ individuals feel welcome.
"And we have done that, as current LGBTQIA+ members of our church can attest. Still, we are a church with orthodox beliefs. The Bible is an equal opportunity offender. All of us have areas of our life that we don't want to sacrifice. It isn't our job to shame anyone into doing something they don't want to do. That is between them and God."
Tome added, "We have a pretty strong history of loving people and bringing hope and help. I hope the LGBTQIA+ community can see this holistically and recognize that we love them and God loves them."