Contact: Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney,
540-538-4741HOUSTON, Oct. 29, 2014 /
Christian Newswire/
-- Today Houston Mayor Annise Parker announced she has directed her
legal team to drop the subpoenas of city pastors who opposed a pro-gay
city ordinance. The decision comes one day after an emergency
delegation of seven pastors from across the country met privately with
the mayor for an hour. The meeting followed a prayer vigil held by the
group in front of Houston City
Hall.
"Mayor Parker made the
right decision and deserves to be commended for it," said Rev. Rob
Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council and one of the
organizers of the delegation. "Our meeting with the mayor was cordial
and very productive. While showing her all due respect, we never
relaxed or compromised our demand for her to unequivocally withdraw the
subpoenas. We're thankful to her and we are supremely thankful to God
for this positive outcome."
"I applaud Mayor Parker for
embracing religious freedom and the First Amendment in her withdrawal
of these subpoenas against five local pastors. We have always maintained
this was not just an affront against the Houston pastors but against
every church and pulpit in America," said Rev. Pat Mahoney, Director of
the Christian Defense Coalition and the principle organizer of the
delegation. "We are thankful for the meaningful dialogue we had with
Mayor Parker yesterday. Today's development demonstrates that the
biblical way of going to our opponents in person and sharing concerns
in Christian love, civility, and transparency is the effective path to
resolving conflict."
Other members of the emergency delegation included:
Rev. Keith Tucci
President, The League in Defense of Christian Pastors
Senior Pastor, Living Hope Church, LaTrobe, PA
Rev. Myke Crowder, D.D.
Member, Executive Committee, National Clergy Council
Senior Pastor, Christian Life Center, Layton, Utah
Pastor David Anderson, D.Ed.
Executive Committee, National Clergy Council
Senior Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Sarasota, FL
Archpriest Alexander Webster, Ph.D.
Member, Executive Committee, National Clergy Council
U.S. Army Chaplain
