Two men shouted homophobic abuse at parishioners of Auckland’s gay-positive St Matthew-in-the-City church yesterday during the morning service. Rev Helen Jacobi, Vicar of the progressive church says, “We were half way through our main 10am service and all of a sudden we could hear someone speaking through what I thought at first must be our sound system - then I realised it was coming from outside - language like “you are an abomination”. The greeters quickly closed the doors which were open because it was hot and two of the church lay leaders went outside while the service continued. Rev Jacobi says two men were outside dressed in black t-shirts and dark glasses which she says made them look intimidating and they continued haranguing. “They were asked to stop and would not,” she says. “So the police were called and they responded immediately.” Police told the men to turn off the microphone, which they did, and to move off the church property to the footpath. The men did this and after the service they attempted to engage with parishioners but were ignored by most. With people staying after the service for morning tea and a church discussion group, the men were gone when most of the parishioners left the church. Jacobi says, “I think people were surprised and a bit horrified that these people who claim to be Christian” could be so abusive and got to so much trouble to try and disrupt our service!” The Vicar says she is unsure if the men came from a specific group but people were deeply offended and this was “a nasty reminder of the homophobia that is out there and that is encouraged by some ‘churches’.” The church intends to check in with the police this week and say they will call the police again if the men return as they have promised they will.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 7th March 2016 - 2:26pm