South Africans from all walks of life, including the very church he belongs to, are standing together against a hateful preacher from America who has been planning a “soul winning” mission to the country.
The South African government are also considering banning the openly homophobic American preacher from traveling to the country, as a war of words between the home affairs minister and the preacher broke out.
Steven L. Anderson, the pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona, is due to travel to South Africa for what he describes as a “soul-winning marathon” on September 18, billed for Johannesburg.
Anderson became well known and dubbed the “anti-gay preacher” after previously celebrating the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, a known gay nightclub in June. Fifty people were shot dead by Omar Mateen at the nightclub, making it the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
He said in a video that the “good news” was that there was “50 less pedophiles in the world” but that the “bad news” was that the tragedy would be used to push for “gun control, whereby law-abiding, normal Americans are not going to be allowed to have guns for self-defense.”
Anderson posted a video on Tuesday expressing his frustration with South African Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba.
The minister’s department met with LGBTI activists on Monday and said that the department was considering several actions against Anderson and would be monitoring him closely during his visit.
Almost 75, 000 people have signed various online petitions against Anderson’s visit.
“This guy [Gigaba] is such a joke,” said Anderson in the video. “If he was going to ban me, he would have done it months ago. But he’s just stringing these sodomites along and it’s funny how they don’t pick up on it, they don’t get the hint.”
Watch the video here:
Anderson said that he had no intention of preaching on homosexuality in South Africa but that his focus would be on the “soul-winning marathon.” Describing Gigaba as a “wicked politician,” Anderson suggested that his message would be well-received among some South Africans.
“We’re not the ones who are backward, Minister Gigaba,” said Anderson. “You’re the one that’s backward, Gigaba. You’re the one that thinks a dude should be intimate with another dude.”
The hateful preacher caused outrage on Wednesday again, when being interviewed by News24… he expressed his hate by saying that he doesn’t condone violence, but all gays should be executed.
In a statement circulated on social media on Friday, Gigaba stated that Anderson “obviously cannot be regarded as a pastor,” and added that the U.S. pastor “needs to find God.”
The minister declared that his department was going to take the “necessary decisions” that would be announced in the next week.
“He has every right in his country of origin to say what he wants. But we are not importing bigotry in South Africa. There is absolutely no way that we are going to accept somebody, an absolute, downright, unrepentant bigot to come into South Africa,” Gigaba reiterated.
Besides the petition, the former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane, has spoken out on the issue, urging the South African government to turn Anderson away.
“Our constitution, of which we are all immensely proud, makes it quite clear that there will be no discrimination against people of a different sexuality,” said Ndungane, a former prisoner on Robben Island, on Thursday, according to South African news site BD Live.”
“How, then, can we allow such an openly homophobic and anti-gay person the right to speak on public platforms in our country?”
The Baptist Union of Southern Africa has also distanced itself from the controversial US pastor calling it an “independent, fundamentalist church”.
Mark Penrith, chairman of the Christian Citizenship Network of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa, said Anderson’s church was not a member church of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa nor was the Baptist Union of Southern Africa in any way associated with it.
In a statement, Penrith said neither the Faithful Word Baptist Church, nor Anderson, were in South Africa by invitation of any of the member churches of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa.
“Faithful Word Baptist Church is a fundamentalist Baptist church in Tempe, Arizona, in the United States pastored by Steven L. Anderson. They are an independent church, not affiliated with any denomination. They have achieved notoriety for strong protests and hate speech against homosexuals,” Penrith said.
Meanwhile on social media, the South African community are standing together against the hateful preacher…
Kerry Nelson weighed in on the conversation: “That guy is a walking shame… He doesn’t represent Christians – he represents ignorant assholes”
Cindy Mason shared her love: “God has blessed is all with love. Who you love doesn’t matter. Everyone is equal in his eyes. Being a real Christian is about not judging anyone. My philosophy is love with all your heart, live to the fullest and be grateful for all you have.”
Graeme Oberem was disgusted: “Inconceivable that there is still such bigotry and hatred in this world.”
Beverley Elston: “He’s not a pastor, he is a devil. He should not be allowed into SA.”
Riana Botha: “I know gay Christians – and some of them lead more amazing lives in Christ then some ‘straight’ Christians I know.”
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