Lilburn Pastor Reacts to DOMA Ruling: 'We Don't Find Gay Marriage a Threat'

The Supreme Court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional Wednesday (June 26), lifting the law barring same-sex couples from receiving the same federal benefits other married couples receive.

While many churches may not agree with the court's decision, one Lilburn congregation continues to stand behind its mission statement that accepts people of any race, nationality, and sexual orientation.

"We call [our congregation] a 'reconciling in Christ' congregation, which means everyone is welcome here in the love our of lord Jesus Christ," said Dale Sillik, the pastor of outreach at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Specifically with same-sex marriage, the congregation is fully accepting of it.

"For us, we don't find gay marriage a threat to other marriages, so it doesn't make a lot of sense to us that we somehow need to protect marriage," Sillik continued. "We would say the best way to defend one's marriage is to love one's spouse, so for us, as a country that is founded on equality for all, it seems to make sense that it would include the opportunity to make love a lifelong commitment to one another."

The congregation of about a thousand members has many openly gay couples and individuals who attend, and current and former church leaders and council members have been open about their homosexuality, too.

But Sillik stressed that one's sexual preference is not important at Trinity.

"It's not how we make decisions here," he said. "We're just kind of past that. It's just about an individual who needs the love of god and that's all we need to know about them."

Sillik also commented on those who disagree with the DOMA ruling, too. 

"We know that there are folks within the community and within our community who wrestle with that issue, who are maybe in different places, but they are just as welcome as those who agree with the issue. You don't have to agree [in order] to love one another."

"We're an openly welcoming congregation, and we hope everyone feels welcomed here," Sillik added.

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