Tarrant County court orders eviction of Hurst anti-gay church over threats of violence
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Stedfast Baptist Church
Stedfast Baptist Church in Watauga has been at the center of controversy for years because of the violently homophobic preaching of its leader, Jonathan Shelley, and guest speakers.
After Shelley went to an Arlington City Council meeting in June to demand a proclamation for Pride Month be revoked and reiterated his calls for the criminalization of homosexuality and legal execution of gay people, protests that have been happening for more than a year grew.
Before coming to Watauga, the church was first evicted from its Hurst location because a judge ruled members were making threats and creating a dangerous nuisance. The church moved to Watauga in May 2022.
Shelley has since said his homophobic comments have made him the victim of bullying.
Watauga residents continue to fight back.
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The Stedfast Baptist Church, where the pastor preached against the LGBTQ community, has five days to vacate the building it is leasing after a Tarrant County judge ruled Tuesday the church is violating terms of its lease, which include making threats and creating a dangerous nuisance.
Judge Don Pierson issued the court order after a trial on Friday.
According to the court ruling, the church will have to pay $42,000 in attorney’s fees. The church can also appeal Pierson’s order.
Frank Hill, an attorney representing the building owner, nonprofit Fellowship of the Sword Inc., said Stedfast Baptist appealed a previous justice of the peace eviction order, which sent the case to trial.
Shelby Sharpe, an attorney for Stedfast Baptist Church, could not be reached for comment.
The church’s pastor, Jonathan Shelley, praised the death of a spectator at a Florida pride parade after a truck drove through a crowd of marchers in June of 2019, and he has also called for the killing of people who are gay.
“He was preaching from the premises, that is called a ‘true threat’ of violence, which is not protected under the First Amendment,” Hill said.
Hill said members of the LGBTQ community peacefully protested the pastor’s stance against the gay community, and the owner was worried about the safety of the protesters and other tenants in the strip center at 700 W. Hurst Euless Bedford Road, where the church is located.
“People need to be told that even a church can’t go around spewing threats of violence,” Hill said.
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 12:44 PM.