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Arkansas Church Ousts Gay Member In Letter Condemning His "Sinful Lifestyle"

The church says he's welcome back if he repents for his lifestyle.

A man who was ousted from his Brookland, Arkansas church for being gay this week is going viral on Facebook, sharing the letter that informed him church officials had revoked his membership due to his “sinful lifestyle.”

Dylan Settles told KARK he was “shocked” and “hurt” by the letter, which he initially assumed would be a “hey we missed you” note from the church after he missed several services.

Instead, the letter condemned his “choice to embrace the homosexual lifestyle.” Since Settles posted it on Facebook, it's been shared more than 2,600 times.

The letter read in part:

“It has come to the attention of the Church body, that you have made it known publicly, of your choice to embrace the homosexual lifestyle. While we understand the struggles we all face with sin in our lives, we must be aware of the consequences of our choices. As a Christian we must choose to serve and obey, in accordance with God’s holy word, in order to remain a member in good standing of the Church body. We as the church board here at Woods Chapel General Baptist Church, have with great sorrow, voted to remove your name immediately from the church membership role. It is the desire of your church family, you would turn from the sinful lifestyle you have chosen, repent of the sins you have committed, and return to full fellowship with God and the church body.”

Settles said he only recently came out to his parents after years of struggling with his sexuality and praying to be straight. Though the letter says he’s welcome back if he repents for his “lifestyle,” Settles has no plans to return.

"I don't feel comfortable sitting at pew or sitting beside my parents when all I'm going to see is people pointing their fingers at me because of the lifestyle I chose," he said.

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