“Don’t Mix Religion And Politics,” the pastor’s anti-Trump sermon, led to his dismissal from the church.
While the church that fired the pastor for criticizing former President Donald Trump is adamant that the dismissal was the right one, the pastor is speaking out.
William Kopp was compelled to step down from his position as pastor of Stuarts Draft Baptist Church in Stuarts Draft, Virginia, after denouncing Trump specifically in a sermon delivered outside on May 31, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.
“I don’t want to stir up a dispute.” It appears that God does. Kopp remarked during the sermon, “And I’m simply the messenger.” … Why won’t we acknowledge that we finally installed a liar in our White House? Why won’t we eventually acknowledge that person as the antichrist?
Kopp stated in reference to Trump that “18,000 fact-checked falsehoods in 1,100 days is more than simply terrible.”
“It goes beyond simple sin.” It is not just incorrect. During his speech, he declared, “It is satanic.” and you cannot dispute it. And if you decide to reject it, you are rejecting Jesus. You cannot have it all. You cannot uphold the rule of law and assert the truth. You cannot support both Christ and the antichrist.
Because the sermon was held outside, everyone in attendance had the option to leave if they found it offensive. He claimed that it actually did.
Kopp told Reckon, “I hear a car, I hear an engine fire up, and tires screech like someone’s racing a dragster out, and a minivan comes careening out and runs down to the parking lot and races off into the distance.”
Kopp said that he had a “crisis of faith” before delivering the sermon.
After the sermon, he met with the deacons. They informed him that they would be calling for his resignation the next day. Wednesday saw his resignation.
Deacon Jim Brooks of the congregation claimed Kopp went too far.
The last statement made by Pastor Kopp was, “If you voted for Trump, you are not a Christian,” Brooks told CNN, “and that’s what got me.” “For me, that was the most important thing.”
Billy Coffey, the interim pastor of the church, told CNN that while he likes Kopp, mixing politics and religion won’t improve religion.
2 Trackbacks / Pingbacks