South African churches snub visit from US homophobic pastor, Steven Anderson

The Evangelical Alliance of South Africa will snub a planned tour of the country by extreme anti-LGBT pastor Steven Anderson.

Pastor Steven Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Phoenix is one of America’s most homophobic pastors. In a previous sermon, he directly called for the execution of gay people by stoning, claiming: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. That, my friends, is the cure for AIDS. It was right there in the Bible all along.”

He openly celebrated the Orlando massacre last month, telling his congregation: “The good news is that there’s 50 less pedophiles in this world, because, you know, these homosexuals are a bunch of disgusting perverts and pedophiles. That’s who was a victim here… just a disgusting homosexuals at a gay bar.”

Praising the actions of the shooter, he said: “There is a full-on war going on! A bunch of filthy sodomite perverts are at war with us!”

The pastor is headed to South Africa this month to convert more people to his extreme cause. But Church groups in the country have rallied to oppose him.

Moss Ntlha of Evangelical Alliance of South Africa said it was regrettable that Anderson had chosen to come to South Africa so “his hatred for LGBTs may be spread here”. Nthala told News24: “The constitution lays the basis on which South Africa’s many cultures agreed to live together. White-black, religious and secular, LGBT and straight, rich and poor, we all stand as one rainbow nation. As South Africans we accept that people with LGBT orientations have rights to dignity and freedom, as indeed all other South Africans.

“The Jesus Anderson claims he comes to South Africa to preach, taught, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life’.”

Christian Today reports that the Baptist Union of Southern Africa has also disavowed the visit.

It comes after Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba threatened to deport Anderson if he repeats his incitements to violence in South Africa. Gigaba said: “We have weighed the options available regarding the visit of the United States pastor. We’ve also considered the letter from the SA Human Rights Commission and the position of the LGBTI community.

“This is a highly sensitive matter that had to be tackled with extreme caution. If it is his intention to visit South Africa again, it would be in his best interest to behave in accordance with our laws. There will be serious conditions attached to this visit; we will not hesitate to deport or charge him for wrongdoing.”