A top Christian school in Brisbane has faced backlash from parents and students after a guest speaker allegedly told 12- and 13-year-olds they faced eternal suffering in hell for being gay.
The Courier-Mail reports St Peters Lutheran College in Indooroopilly will review the sermon and the school’s process for selecting external speakers after the apprentice church worker from a separate Brisbane church was invited to speak to Year 7 and 8 students last week.
One parent whose child heard the sermon told The Courier-Mail it alluded to the idea that if they were gay or waited too long to become Christian, they would go to hell, adding it was a dangerous message at a time when many teenagers were insecure and grappling with anxiety.
But the church, which news.com.au has not named, disputed that characterisation of the sermon delivered by one of its gospel workers in training.
“The chapel talk delivered at St Peter’s Lutheran College last week was a clear expression of basic Christianity which is cherished by billions of people across the world,” it said in a statement shared with news.com.au.
“It focused on the words of Jesus in Luke 14:15-24 about the heavenly banquet all people are invited to but not all accept.
“No particular group or sexual identity was targeted or even mentioned, but all the students were urged to repent of their sins and put their faith in Jesus.
“This message is taught every week in churches all around the country. It was precisely what St Peter and Martin Luther urged their listeners to do.
“Although some reports of the talk seem to have been embellished or taken things out of context, the message was delivered in a sincere, loving and straightforward manner.
“St Peter’s advertises very clearly that they are a Christ-centred community so a talk based on Jesus’ words should be unremarkable. We would encourage all those interested in Jesus’ teachings to read Luke’s Gospel for themselves.”
The school has sent three emails to parents since August 24, The Courier-Mail reports.
Year 7 and 8 co-ordinator Helena Lambert said several students had expressed concerns about the sermon and noted: “We also have many community members who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community”.
Head of college Tim Kotzur and deputy head of college Lisa Delaney said that homophobic language, discrimination, vilification or the demeaning of another person was inconsistent with the expectations the school held for its community.
“It is also important that we distinguish between the intentions of the young person who spoke in chapel and the impact of aspects of their message,” they wrote.
“We understand that they came to St Peters intending to share their personal faith journey. Our concern is not about condemning a young person for expressing their faith.
“Rather, it is our responsibility as a college to recognise when particular messages have caused harm or do not appropriately reflect the theological and educational context in which we minister to young people, and to respond accordingly.”
In a statement, St Peters Lutheran College said it was “aware of concerns raised by some people in our community following a guest speaker’s presentation to a Year 7 and Year 8 chapel service last week”.
“The College recognises and regrets that some comments in the presentation caused genuine concerns for members of our community,” Mr Kotzur said.
“As a Lutheran school, we believe that every person is loved by God, and the dignity and worth of each person is not conditional upon their background, beliefs, identity, sexuality or circumstances.
“The College does not support any message that could be interpreted as diminishing dignity, respect or belonging for any member of our community, nor do we believe faith should be communicated through fear or shame.
“We are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the service, including the processes for selecting external speakers, to ensure that messages align with the College’s values and educational philosophy.”
St Peters Lutheran College, established by the Lutheran Church in 1945, is the largest Lutheran school in Australia.
Around 40,000 students are enrolled at Lutheran schools around the country.
Read related topics:Brisbane