CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Alice Chao, (866) FRC-NEWS or (866)-372-6397
Port Wentworth, GA---On Friday March 10, former Congressman Jody Hice, now senior advisor to Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Bishop Garland Hunt of The Father's House, and former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran will join Georgia pastors in delivering more than 20,000 signed petitions to the mayor and city council of Port Wentworth calling on them to apologize for violating the First Amendment freedoms of former Port Wentworth police officer Jacob Kersey. Kersey was bullied into resigning from the Port Wentworth Police Department. Officer Kersey, who had a spotless record with the department was pulled off duty and threatened with termination for expressing a biblical view of marriage on his private Facebook account.
"God designed marriage," Kersey wrote in his personal Facebook post. "Marriage refers to Christ and the church," he explained in reference to Ephesians 5. "That's why there is no such thing as homosexual marriage."
These three sentences set off a firestorm of activity among the leadership of the Port Wentworth Police Department and Kersey was suspended. He was told he could return but was also threatened that such statements on his social media would not be allowed or tolerated in the future. Kersey resigned rather than surrender his constitutional rights and in order to maintain his faithfulness to God's truth, and his integrity as a Christ-follower.
WHO: Jody Hice, former Member of Congress and FRC's Senior Advisor to the President of Family Research Council, Tony Perkins
Mark Harris, Vice President of FRC's Association of Churches & Ministries
Kelvin Cochran, former Atlanta Fire Chief fired for his faith
Georgia pastors including Bishop Garland Hunt, Senior Pastor of The Father's House, Norcross, Georgia
WHAT: Prayer and Petition Rally, including delivery of more than 20,000 signed petitions to the mayor and city council of Port Wentworth, Georgia
WHEN: March 10th at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time
WHERE: Port Wentworth City Hall
7224 GA-21
Port Wentworth, GA 31407
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