Miami Pastor May Lose Church Lease Over Sound Sermon
A Miami pastor is preaching what the Bible says: homosexuality is a sin. Now, the Miami-Dade County School Superintendent is “reviewing” its lease to the church.
Jack Hakimian, pastor of Impact Miami Church, preached the Biblical position on homosexuality, which was well within his First Amendment rights. But the sermon allegedly violates the district’s anti-bullying and non-discrimination policy.
Hakimian explicitly denounces bullying and teaches to respect all people.
“The reason why I am dealing with [homosexuality] so much is because there is an aggressive approach by… gay theologians that says the Bible never spoke about homosexuality in a way that contemporary Christians understand it,” Hakimian says.
“It’s all over. It’s on YouTube, its on CNN, and its on 60 Minutes. They are not just saying, ‘accept us’—and I believe we should protect, and not bully, and treat all people with dignity and respect—but they are going beyond and above to change the very meaning of Scripture.”
Liberty Counsel sent a letter to the Miami-Dade County School Superintendent stating that any effort to rescind a facilities usage lease to a church because of the pastor’s sermon on homosexuality would violate the First Amendment.
Liberty contends that the board’s non-discrimination and anti-bullying policies are not applicable to the situation at hand. Hakimian and the church have violated no law or policy. The district cannot discriminate on the basis of his Biblically sound viewpoint. Any attempt by the school board to modify, change, or revoke the lease agreement would be unconstitutional.
Says Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel: “The district must respect the First Amendment rights of Pastor Hakimian and the church.”
