19-Year-Old Police Officer Suspended for Christian Marriage Comments
A 19-year-old police officer left his job after being suspended for his remarks that supported Christian marriage while debunking LGTBQ marriage as valid in the eyes of God.
Jacob Kersey of Port Wentworth, Georgia, made a post on his Facebook page about the sanctity of marriage, which landed him in trouble with his supervisor.
“God designed marriage. Marriage refers to Christ and the church. That’s why there is no such thing as homosexual marriage,” Kersey wrote on Facebook.
This post is what led Kersey’s employer to write a notification letter, which detailed an “anonymous complaint” that was received because of Kersey’s post. Major Sherrod of the Port Wentworth police department noted in the letter that Kersey’s social media and podcasts accounts had been thoroughly examined, finding no evidence to actually fire him from his position, but that if his faith-based viewpoints got in the way of his responsibilities, then he could be let go in the future.
“The posts, podcasts, and so forth found and considered in our investigation likely offensive to protected classes and could raise reasonable concerns regarding your objectivity in the performance of your job duties when a member, or suspected, member of the LGBTQ+ community is involved,” Sherrod wrote.
The letter continued: “Please understand that the City of Port Wentworth respects your right to express yourself so long as such expression is not otherwise unlawful or impair your ability to fully perform your job duties as a police officer.”
Kersey ultimately decided to resign from his position with the police department.
In an interview with Tony Perkins, Kersey shared that he was originally asked to take down the post by his supervisor, and he refused. Kersey was then placed on administrative leave. After the leave, he was asked to come back, but with the knowledge that if he offended anyone else with his comments in the future, he would lose his job. Instead, Kersey quit.
While pressure increases for Christians in America against a growing secular world, Kersey warns that what he has experienced and is happening in our nation are not just a left versus right phenomenon—it’s a spiritual battle.
“We really, really have to understand that this isn’t all just a big political game. This is a spiritual battle that’s going on right now. And Satan wants to dominate in every area of life. He wants to dominate in entertainment, he wants to dominate in sports, he wants to dominate in your home, he wants to dominate in your church, he wants to dominate our military and our law enforcement and he wants to dominate our hearts,” Kersey says.
In Ephesians 6:11 (MEV), the apostle Paul reminds us to “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Without this spiritual armor, we are at the whims of Satan. By putting on this spiritual covering, we can fight our good fight of faith, no matter if that means putting down our physical armor as Kersey did, or simply taking the next step needed to pick up our cross and follow Christ.
Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator and Staff Writer intern for Charisma Media.