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Father Troy Beecham, the openly gay rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in College Park, said his congregation was appalled by an anti-gay note tacked to the church doors. (Photo courtesy St. John’s Episcopal Church)
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HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
By: DYANA BAGBY
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College Park police are investigating an anti-gay note left on the doors of St. John’s Episcopal Church as a “terroristic threat,” according to a police report.
Father Troy Beecham, the first openly gay rector at the church, said a message stating, “homosexual priest in the pulpit in this church are an abomination! 666” was handwritten on a piece of cardboard and posted on the door for members to see when they came to church Aug. 24.
“It was found by a gay member when he unlocked the doors Sunday morning at 7 a.m. He was going to throw it away but another gay member said that I should see it,” Beecham said. “I’m glad he did.”
College Park is located south of downtown Atlanta near the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and has a population of approximately 21,000.
Beecham has been at the church for two months. He said members were in fear for their physical safety as well as shocked by the message. The church, located on Main Street, has a sizable gay membership and has never been targeted by anti-gay vandalism before, Beecham added.
“The community and congregation has been very supportive as well as shocked,” Beecham said.
Officer George Williams, spokesperson for the College Park Police Department, said officers were taking the matter seriously.
“This is very rare, very rare,” he said of the church vandalism. “We have several churches in the area and this is something we don’t tolerate. We are investigating this very seriously to ascertain who did this.”
The police report names the note as a “terroristic threat/intimidation.”
Georgia law states a person found guilty of terroristic threats can face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
COMPASSION ENCOURAGED
St. John’s Episcopal Church members, which number close to 400 and include a regular attendance of some 150 people to Sunday services, were obviously shaken and concerned for Beecham.
“Apparently news of my arrival has spread quicker than I thought,” Beecham said. “I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before. The note upset the whole parish. For decades, we have been open and welcoming. It boggles everyone’s mind this could happen in College Park.”
Beecham incorporated the anti-gay threat into his Aug. 24 sermons, he said, urging members to respond with compassion to the person who left the note.
“I feel compassion for this person because what a sad, dark world they live in,” he said. “We want them here. There needs to be accountability, but we want them transformed by the love of this parish.”
The sermons were well received and Beecham said he received his first-ever standing ovations.
“The support from the congregation has been overwhelming,” he said.
While the frightening note may cause some to be dismayed, Beecham urged congregants to be aware but also forgiving.
“Because we are open, this is a sign we are doing something right,” he said. “But is also a sign that we have a lot of work to do. Building walls around us is the last thing we want to do.”
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