Calvary Chapel Pastor Compromises On Gay Weddings

The Alistair Begg compromise on gay weddings has had a ripple effect in Evangelicalism, leading to cancelations for the once highly esteemed pastor. A Calvary Chapel pastor did likewise in a recent sermon on Mark 2 supporting the idea of Christians attending sodomitical wedding ceremonies.

Bill Mobley is the pastor at Calvary Chapel Gulf Coast in Florida. It is not a particularly large Calvary Chapel. Nevertheless, Calvary Chapel has been reliably orthodox on hot-button issues compared to other denominations.

Mobley delivered his sermon on January 14, three days before Evangelical Dark Web broke the story about Begg. The sermon connects Jesus hanging out with tax collectors to Christians attending gay weddings. The categorical error that Mobley immediately makes is one between societal outcasts and deviant sinners. It’s also worth noting that Matthew does not remain a tax collector upon being called by Jesus, quite the opposite.

Mobley uses gay weddings as a provocative comparison to illustrate how Jesus was viewed for hanging out with Matthew in Mark 2. He says it’s increasingly common that Christians are invited to gay weddings. Bill Mobley insists that he’s not saying that Christians can go to gay weddings but isn’t saying that they cannot either, before justifying those who attend gay weddings.

Mobley argues that Christians “can be a redemptive presence in the midst of wicked sinners.” Like Begg, Mobley neglects to understand that weddings are participatory events and also celebratory events. “The decision should not be automatic.”

Similar to Begg’s recent sermon, Mobley implies that compelling the conscience on the issue of gay weddings is pharisaical. He concludes the illustration by touting his own bravery for bringing the example up. In doing so he lies when saying “Is this guy saying it’s okay to go to a gay marriage? I’m not saying that at all.” Whereas Alistair Begg admitted he ordered the code red, Mobley pussyfoots the question entirely, but his projected indecisiveness is sufficient to compromise. He concluded:

“I’m saying if you do, it won’t change you, but it might change them.”

The idea that attending a gay wedding ceremony is a mission opportunity ignores what a wedding is and that attendance is tacit approval at a minimum. It ignores that homosexuality is a cult in the west, and that this marriage is a religious sacrament, not for the sake of the abominable union but the statement it makes at the Created Order. Christians can no more attend this participatory event than they can an Islamic Hajj.

In a different era of Christianity, this was unthinkable, but now we have a generation of pastors pondering perverted nuptial celebrations.