Minister Lawyers Up After Massachusetts Library Cancels His ‘Pastor Story Hour’ Event

Ben ZeisloftJanuary 12, 2023

Chelmsford Public Library Massachusetts canceled a local minister’s Pastor Story Hour event after pressure from residents.

Promotion of LGBTQ The Drag Queen Story Hour trend, which encourages young children to participate in drag queens’ stories, has been making national headlines. Leading pastors are reporting that this trend is helping to bring attention to the movement. All over the country They should reserve library spaces and hold events that allow children to learn biblical principles about gender and sexuality. Kendall Lankford, teaching pastor of The Shepherd’s Church, had scheduled one such event on Friday at Chelmsford Public Library and told The Daily Wire that he To be expected The program is open to between 50-75 children.

Chelmsford Public Library published a Statement Wednesday’s address addressed the controversy surrounding the event and reminded residents it was completely optional. “Use of a library meeting room by a nonprofit does not indicate endorsement by the library,” According to the statement. “We support your individual choices as to what to attend and do not advertise or promote any non-library meetings on the library calendar.”

However, residents flooded the comments section with claims about Lankford’s intentions. “indoctrinate youth” Into bigotry. “By allowing hate into your library you’re implicitly saying to vulnerable populations that they’re not safe there,” One commenter said. “This is blatant discrimination, homophobia, bigotry, transphobia,” Another one added.

The next Statement posted on Thursday announced that Chelmsford Public Library directors and trustees decided to preemptively cancel Lankford’s reservation based on violations of “acceptable behavior policies.” Officials claimed the event would contradict policies against proselytizing and said publicity from The Shepherd’s Church improperly indicated that the library was co-sponsoring their program.

The Daily Wire heard from Lankford, who said he had retained legal counsel and regretted that officials dropped the program.

“With less than twenty four hours before our Pastor Story Hour, the Chelmsford Public Library appears to have caved to mounting pressure in the community to have our event canceled. We are very disappointed in the outcome and disappointed for all of the children that we had invited, who were excited that an event like this could occur,” He said. “We believe that God will get the glory from this and that this discrimination against our biblical worldview will be swiftly corrected.”

Residents are expressing opposition to Pastor Story Hour events in various parts of the country. Activists made public their intentions. Organise A rival event was held at the same moment as the Pastor Story Hour hosted in Conway by Owen Strachan (provost, Grace Bible Theological Seminary, Arkansas). New York and Indiana libraries Reversed After initially cancelling events hosted by Kirk Cameron, a conservative activist and Christian actor, the course has been rescheduled.

Lankford referenced commandments during his interview with The Daily Wire this week “equip, train, and raise up the next generation of children in the fear and admonition of the Lord,” As well as “take that commitment for home discipleship and expand it to the nations.”

“Christ has a vision for the entire world and not just for our homes, which means that the scope of the gospel, the goal for which the Church is laboring, will not be accomplished until all the children of the world come under God’s blessing and have been taught a biblical worldview,” Lankford said so. “With that, the drag queens in particular, and the LGBTQ movement in general, are the ones who are truly on the wrong side of history. And I will admit, the church has much work to accomplish until that work is finished, but sloth, apathy, and hiding our heads in the proverbial sand will certainly not get us there.”