Administrators at a private Christian school in Florida stand firm on their Christian beliefs that their students should identify with the two genders God made and not partake in sexual behavior outside of marriage. Though they face death threats and alleged abuse for their stand, they say they will follow God, not man.
The administrator of Grace Christian School, Barry McKeen, said in an interview with Fox News, “If I backed down from something like this, I’m abandoning what God has said is the truth. I …. kind of rack my brain to like, ‘How is this hard for people to understand? This is what God said.’ This is one of the many reasons we have a Christian school, and we’re not going to abandon this policy. God has spoken on these issues.”
The incident came to light after McKeen sent an email to the school community in summer telling them that they will only be identified by their “biological sex” and students who are found “participating” in gay or transgender lifestyles will be asked to “leave the school immediately.” It said, “We believe that God created mankind in His image: male (man) and female (woman), sexually different but with equal dignity,” the email read.
“Therefore, one’s biological sex must be affirmed and no attempts should be made to physically change, alter, or disagree with one’s biological gender — including, but not limited to, elective sex reassignment, transvestite, transgender, or non-binary gender fluid acts of conduct (Genesis 1:26-28). Students in school will be referred to by the gender on their birth certificate and be referenced in name in the same fashion,” the email continued.
McKeen said he sent the email to parents because “although this is being celebrated and encouraged by the country, it is condemned by God. And at this school, we’re gonna follow God instead of man.” He also said that no students had been sent out yet because of these points.
However, one mother whose daughter identifies as a lesbian pulled her out from there after she got the email.
The firm believer said that the school has had a “human sexuality policy since day number one” back in 1975, and such a policy is common for Christian schools. “We don’t expect our students who are not married to be sexual, whether it be bisexual, heterosexual or homosexual. If a kid came in the doors, exclaiming how he was having sex with his girlfriend, that student would be expelled, as well,” McKeen said.
The school’s administrator said he and his family have been receiving death threats ever since the email was leaked and the school has had to add more security there. “It’s funny for us to … be painted as hateful. We have fielded hundreds, probably thousands of phone calls Thursday, Friday over the weekend, with just some of the most outrageous things: People threatening to burn my house down, threatening to kill my family,” McKeen said.
But even with all the hate coming in, there has been massive support for the school’s policy from parents, and the Christian community, with one man even donating $5,000 to the school with a note “stay strong, keep the faith.” McKeen said it was shocking to note that the school would make headlines due to the policy and shows that America is moving away from God and Christianity. “It’s kind of been beyond me that this has blown up to what it is like you’re shocked that a Christian school has this policy?” he said.
He ended by saying, “Maybe God has picked us for this particular time to just encourage [like-minded people] that, ‘Hey, there are things worth standing up for, and we’re going to do that,'” he added.
Watch: Barry McKeen talks about Christian faith and school policy
Administrations response to the NBC article!!!
Posted by Grace Christian School – Valrico, Florida on Thursday, 18 August 2022
