LEXINGTON, Ky. – Amid mounting criticism, the Rev. Jon Weese of central Kentucky’s largest church said that, in canceling worship on Christmas Sunday, its elders “chose to value families; people over policy.”
Officials at Southland Christian Church said they received protests from hundreds of Christians across the nation when word of the closed-on-Christmas decision was reported in the media.
In a sermon interrupted by applause and one standing ovation, Weese said: “I was deeply saddened by the knee-jerk response of the Christian community as a whole to give the benefit of the doubt to the media and not a church or a Christian brother.”
“I’m still troubled that more Christians did not stand up for us,” he said, and “illogical, ill-informed and even hypocritical arguments” had been aimed at him.
Weese said that in Jewish and biblical tradition, Sunday begins at sundown Saturday and his church is holding Christmas Eve services. He said Jesus, too, was criticized for breaking tradition and faced critics who “emphasized religion over relationship.”
Weese said “Christmas began as a pagan holiday to the Roman gods” and anyway, Jesus was most likely born in January or April.
Protestant megachurches in other states are also canceling Sunday worship because it falls on Christmas. Traditionally, even those Protestant churches that do not schedule Christmas Day services will do so when it falls on a Sunday.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
