After Sunday service on July 13, leaders at an Indianapolis church laughed as protesters in front of their building kept arc -colored signs.
The Baptist Church Foundation, located at a mall store near Lafayette Road and West 30th Street, have recently won their attention for their anti-LGBTQ+ congregate messages. In a sermon, shared online, the layman of the laymen encourages members to pray for the death of the LGBTQ+ Community. The protesters had their own message about the church on July 13.
“It exists in their presence,” said Cas Jackson, who helped organize the protest in front of Indystar. “Which is something that they do not believe that Christ would approve.”
Jackson said the protest is a way for them to communicate with the church, as well as others, that church leaders can continue their hatred, but they will continue to appear and be happy in their presence.
Safe Foundation Baptist Church continued its Sunday service
An original sermon video, shared earlier this month online, identifies LGBTQ+ as “evil” and “disgusting”.
“There is nothing good to be proud to be (slur),” said church member Stephen Falco during a sermon published on YouTube. “You have to explode in the back of your head. You’re so disgusting.”
Since then, video sharing platform has removed the video for violating service conditions.
The independent fundamentalist church doubled on its message in a statement shared on Facebook on July 3, where it is said that it does not apologize. Since then, the evangelist Justin Jong of the church has made a sermon discussing the recent reflection and attention that the Church has received.
“Why do these (Slur) want us to burn and bomb this church and kill us?” Zhong preached in a video posted on the church page on Facebook111. “Because we testify that their deeds are evil. My question is why a small church in the mall makes world news? Because the Word of God has power.”
Protesters on Sunday said they did not want to meet the church with violence. They do not intend to change the Congregate’s opinion of LGBTQ+ individuals, but they say they want to make it clear that they will emphasize the fanatics of the church.
“What I know is true is that these people really hate when other people are joyful because they are not,” Jackson said. “And unfortunately, they were indoctrinated in a cult in the backyard.”
Safe Foundation Baptist Church: Indianapolis church doubles the sermon of pride that stands for harm to LGBTQ people
Jong told Indystar that he was not surprised by the protest, but the church continued to serve on Sunday morning without a problem. The church, which opened its doors in 2024, has about 35 people visiting the church on average each week.
Referring to the Book of Acts, he compares the protest with people and cities outraged in the Bible when the apostles preached the truth. Jong said the protesters are upset because the Word of God states that their deeds are evil.
Other groups of faith, LGBTQ+ Defenders reject the hateful speech
Indianapolis’s concerned clergy counteracts the message of the church with a biblical verse, saying in its statement that the gospel is for everyone and should not be used as a tool for condemnation. The clergy group said that the Black Church, born in the Tigel of oppression, should never imitate the very spirit of exclusion, which once rejected its community.
“We are called to be a sanctuary for marginalized, not a prejudice platform,” the statement said. Starting the dignity, involvement and justice for all people, the group said it rejected the concept of LGBTQ+ individuals are beyond God’s scope, grace or redemption.
G. David Caudil, Indiana, said he was encouraged to see other leaders of faith in Indianapolis to condemn the sermon of the church.
“When you have this type of hateful and violent language, it can lead to someone taking these words and feeling protected so that they can go and perform violent actions against our community,” Caudil said.
Protesters gather on Sunday, July 13, 2025, outside the Baptist Church of the Foundation, surely near Lafayette Road and West 30 streets in Indianapolis. Proponents of the LGBTQ+ Community gathered to protest after a sermon was presented in the church, encouraging the death of those who identify themselves as LGBTQ+.
Jade Jackson is a public safety reporter in Indianapolis. You can send her an email to jade.jackson@indystar.com and follow it on X, before that Twitter @iamjadejackson. The previous reporter of the Indystar Alexandria Burris investigation reported that it was helping this article.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pride Protest Erupts after the church calls LGBTQ people “disgusting”