LEADERS of some of the island’s umbrella church groups have distanced themselves from statements by United States gay pastor Nancy Wilson that local church leaders were supportive of a recently established gay ‘church’ here.

“That which the scripture condemns, and condemns in the strongest words (calling it an abomination), one has to take a stand against,” said Bishop Delford Davis, president of the Association of Full Gospel Churches, which represents 42 denominations, including the New

Testament, Church of God of Prophecy and Deliverance Centres.

“I don’t see how a person can be a practising homosexual and claim to be a Christian. Those two lifestyles are totally diametrically opposed,” added Davis.

Davis said that none of the ministers within his group, to his knowledge, ever met with Wilson or expressed support for the Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC).

“Even if they had met with her,” Davis said, “I doubt that any of them would ever condone the [MCC] or homosexuality.”

Rev Gary Harriot, general secretary of the Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) – which represents 10 denominations, including the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist and Seventh-day Adventist – said that member churches were not in support of homosexuality or a gay church, although some offer pastoral care to homosexuals.

“None of our member churches accepts homosexuality as the norm or a way to go,” said Harriot. “We don’t see it as a way of being, but we don’t condemn anyone,” he said.

Harriot said he was not aware that any JCC member met with Wilson.

Rev Ernle Gordon of the St Mary’s Anglican Church in Kingston said yesterday that he was uncertain that any Anglican leader had met with Wilson, adding that even if Wilson had met with some church leaders, she may have misinterpreted their concerns about violence against homosexuals as support for her cause.

“She might have meant that she met some Christians who are not in the viciousness and more for counselling,” Gordon said.

Wilson, who is in the island to lend support to the homosexual community, said in an Observer article yesterday that she had met with a number of church leaders (allies in the heterosexual church), whom she said were supportive of the gay church. She said too, that she has been trying to convince the leaders to publicly express their support for the gay church.