Community Corner
Gwinnett Church Leader on DOMA Ruling: 'We're an Openly Welcoming Congregation'
Dale Sillik, the pastor of outreach at Lilburn's Trinity Lutheran Church, says the congregation welcomes everyone to worship with them, regardless of sexual orientation.
The Supreme Court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional Wednesday (June 26), lifting the law barring same-sex couples from receiving the same federal benefits other married couples receive.
While many churches may not agree with the court's decision, one Lilburn congregation continues to stand behind its mission statement that accepts people of any race, nationality, and sexual orientation.
"We call [our congregation] a 'reconciling in Christ' congregation, which means everyone is welcome here in the love our of lord Jesus Christ," said Dale Sillik, the pastor of outreach at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Specifically with same-sex marriage, the congregation is fully accepting of it.
"For us, we don't find gay marriage a threat to other marriages, so it doesn't make a lot of sense to us that we somehow need to protect marriage," Sillik continued. "We would say the best way to defend one's marriage is to love one's spouse, so for us, as a country that is founded on equality for all, it seems to make sense that it would include the opportunity to make love a lifelong commitment to one another."
Read the full story on Lilburn Patch.
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