Photos: Watauga residents fight against Stedfast Baptist’s violent anti-gay rhetoric
James Hartley
·1 min read
Stedfast Baptist Church in Watauga has been at the center of controversy for years because of the violently homophobic preaching of its leader, Jonathan Shelley, and guest speakers.
After Shelley went to an Arlington City Council meeting in June to demand a proclamation for Pride Month be revoked and reiterated his calls for the criminalization of homosexuality and legal execution of gay people, protests that have been happening for more than a year grew.
No Hate in Texas protesters shout as churchgoers leave after service at Stedfast Baptist Church on June 26, 2022, in Watauga.
Shelley has since said his homophobic comments have made him the victim of bullying.
Calls from another church leader, Dillon Awes, for gay people to be executed further spurred participation in the protests outside Stedfast Baptist’s space in Watauga. Awes’ comments have also gone viral internationally on the social media platform TikTok, where people have mocked and ridiculed him for promoting violence against LGBTQ+ people and some have called for more protests.
A protester holds up a sign as church members arrive for service at Stedfast Baptist Church on July 24, 2022, in Watauga. People driving by honk in support as well as dropping off supplies such as water and food for the protesters.
The church was evicted from its building in Hurst, where people also were protesting, in February because of similar comments, and found a new space to lease in Watauga in May. Protesters followed the church there, where they continue to demonstrate every Wednesday night and twice a day every Sunday.
The city of Watauga has said it has no legal power to evict the church from the building because the speech falls under the protections of the First Amendment. No actionable threat has been made by the church, its leaders or its members, the city has said.
Theresa Izaguirre and Mandi Skinner live close to Stedfast Baptist Church, where a preacher said LGBTQ people should be executed. The couple, who were in a long-distance relationship and decided in 2018 to move in together, don’t want to leave Watauga – they chose this community because they like the schools, neighborhood and proximity to shopping and work. “Until now, we have had zero bad experiences, never felt unwelcome,” Skinner said. Now, they worry about their safety.
Mandi Skinner’s family Bible and Theresa Izaguirre’s mother’s rosary are prominently displayed in their home in Watauga. “I’m a Christian. I go to church, and that is not a church. There is no God there,” Skinner said about Stedfast Baptist, which moved into a nearby shopping center in June. A few months earlier, the church was evicted from its Hurst location after a judge sided with the landlord, ruling that the church had a pattern of anti-gay rhetoric that violated its lease terms.
“There’s no way for us not to feel, think and believe that it’s just a matter of time before someone from that congregation decides to take up arms and do his bidding,” says Mandi Skinner as she and her wife, Theresa Izaguirre, left, prepare to head to a protest outside Stedfast Baptist Church. “They’re so close to our home, there’s no way that we can’t be a little bit afraid of that.”
Pride flags stream in from the No Hate in Texas protest as Jonathan Shelley, leader of Stedfast Baptist Church, exits a vehicle in the parking lot outside the church. Shelley had said he is following teachings from the Bible and he is not advocating violence against homosexuals, or anyone.
Protesters put up signs along Denton Highway outside Stedfast Baptist Church on July 24. Leaders of other churches across North Texas have condemned the messages of hate and violence coming from the pulpit at Stedfast. Some have supported the people who demonstrate, saying the sermons twist the word of God and don’t represent Christianity.
People have been protesting Stedfast Baptist Church for about a year, but the rallies grew after the pastor, Jonathan Shelley, asked the Arlington City Council to revoke a Pride Month proclamation and reiterated his calls for the criminalization of homosexuality and legal execution of gay people. Brandy Sottilo, an organizer with No Hate in Texas, hugs Mandi Skinner as they get ready for a day of protesting outside Stedfast’s church in a Watauga shopping center. Sottilo started protests in Hurst and has continued them at Stedfast’s new location. Police have talked to both sides, maintaining that the church has not violated any law.
“I have definitely lately felt tension in every place that I go to,” says Lynette Sharp of Watauga as she hands out flyers with information about Stedfast Baptist. Sharp has canvassed businesses around the area to inform about the church’s anti-gay rhetoric and hate speech.
Protesters hold signs as church members leave a service at Stedfast Baptist Church on June 1. The No Hate In Texas group is asking the city and property owners to evict the church again. The group protests twice a week to coincide with the services.
“It’s our city. It’s our community. People need to know what is happening in the community,” says Lynette Sharp of Watauga while talking to a business owner about the nearby Stedfast Baptist Church.
Lynette Sharp of Watauga chats with others during the protest against Stedfast Baptist Church July 3, 2022, in Watauga. Protesters set up tents with water and snacks to help with being outside in the hot summer weather.
Brandy Sottilo, an organizer with No Hate in Texas, heard about Stedfast from a TikTok video in which its preacher talked about a Pride parade in Florida where one man was killed by a truck. The preacher said he wished more people would have died. “I am a mom of a kid from the LGBTQ community,” Sottilo said. “I’m not going to stand for you to wish death upon my kid because of who he loves.”
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