Contact: Stacy M. Swimp, 313-848-7569, info@nationalclc.org

DETROIT, Oct. 24, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Hundreds of Michigan Pastors and Christian leaders gathered on the steps on the State Capital in Lansing, Michigan to hold a press conference in opposition to the growing movement within the Michigan Legislature to amend the State's Civil Rights Act- Elliott Larson- to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

"We, the undersigned Christian Pastors of the State of Michigan declare our opposition to adding sexual orientation, gender identity or other similar designation to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act." -- Pastor Doug Levesque, Immanuel Baptist Church, Corunna, Michigan, reading a pastor's joint statement. 

The Pastors said that legislation in other states that were allegedly intended to protect homosexuals actually ended up discriminating against people of faith, citing the recent case in Houston, Texas, where the sermons, notes, and text messages of pastors were subpoenaed by the mayor.

"The homosexual agenda is an anti-freedom movement which has led to the persecution of pastors and Christian business owners across the nation, whose freedom of speech and freedom of religion are being taken from them, under the guise of so called gay rights. There is nothing civil about that!"-- Minister Stacy Swimp, President, National Christian Leadership Council

"Those wanting special rights for sexual orientation are seeking to rewrite the traditional moral fiber of our society." -- Tim Berlin, senior pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Warren

"I don't know of another example of pastors' sermons being subpoenaed, except for in Nazi Germany and Communist Russia. I find it ironic that the first example of that happening in America is from the LGBT community." -- Pastor R.B. Ouelette, First Baptist, Bridgeport, Michigan.

The pastors asserted that the job of the Michigan Legislature is to affirm and uphold constitutionally protected freedom for everyone – including business owners – not pass laws that grant special favors, give special status or guarantee special protections for some while coercing and punishing others.

Swimp concluded, "Let there be no doubt that, if you should decide to go forward with this grave injustice, I, every born again believer I know, as well as every pastor you see here today, shall disobey your unjust law. Here we stand, Black and White together, ready to go to jail!"

The press conference may be viewed here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7-0prPwxyk&feature=youtu.be