Quote:

The family of Vanessa Collier came together on Saturday to mourn her loss at New Hope Ministries, a church in Lakewood, Colorado. But before they could say their last goodbyes, the minister overseeing her funeral suddenly stopped the funeral.

The Denver Post reports the memorial service, which followed the viewing of her body, had been going on for about 15 minutes when Pastor Ray Chavez stopped it. Chavez told the family the service could not continue because pictures of Collier with her wife Christina, the woman she raised two children with, needed to be removed first. Chavez said the funeral could not continue with any physical reminders that Collier was gay present in the church. The Denver Post reports her family was stunned and had to move Collier's body out of the church to a new location themselves:

Outraged, those who loved Collier, 33, picked up programs, flowers and eventually the dead woman's casket itself, moving the service to a mortuary that — thankfully, they say — happened to be across the street. "It was humiliating," said Victoria Quintana, Collier's longtime friend. "It was devastating."
The Newcomer Funeral Home became the scene of a makeshift funeral, with family and friends crammed into close quarters to pay their respects. "A church turning away a funeral. Who has ever heard of anything like that happening?" family friend Jeanette Arguello told the Denver Post.

Chavez's biography on the website for New Hope Ministries describes his goal is "to reach the lost:"

New Hope Ministries in Lakewood, Colorado is a place where those bound by drugs, alcohol, gangs and violence can find an "Ounce of Hope." If anyone knows the importance of an ounce of hope it's Ray Chavez, who along with his wife Lola, are the founders of New Hope Ministries.

New Hope Ministries began in 1981 and maintains rehabilitation homes for men, women and troubled youth. He is author of "An Ounce of Hope" that chronicles his struggles and ultimate conversion when he allows Christ into his heart and life.

"The goal is to reach the lost. There is no cost to people who use the facilities and there are so many success stories from our program. The ministry also reaches out to at-risk children and troubled youth through Center of Hope Academy, an online learning center, where each student can learn at their own pace.

Ray Chavez would like to leave you with these words: "We're a Center of Hope – with hands of Mercy."

Protesters gathered on Tuesday morning for a "Dignity in Death" march to speak out against Chavez's actions, 9News reports. One sign read "You will not find Jesus at New Hope but you will find hypocrisy."

Collier had two daughters, ages 7 and 11, with her wife Christina. She died on Dec. 30; according to the Denver Post the family chose New Hope Ministries because it was in the community where she grew up. A representative for the church refused comment and hung up on a reporter, according to the Denver Post.

Adding insult to injury, the church has reportedly not reimbursed the family for the cost of the funeral.

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lifeiswhatyoumake said:

This is quite a sad story.
Being a Christian myself, I understand how it would be difficult for the priest/minister/pastor to continue the funeral learning that the deceased was gay.
I think it was wrong for the funeral to be stopped because of it, though.

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DragonChaser said:

I dunno... I grew up Christian, and I'll never understand stuff like this.

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DragonChaser said:

Like even if the pastor believes that homosexuality is a sin, is he pretending all of the other people they bury were without sin?

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DragonChaser said:

Edit- I still disagree with what he did, but it seems like he just didn't want any physical reminders of her "sin" in the church?  He asked them to take pictures down.  I guess to him and other fundies, it would be the same asking the family to take down pictures of the deceased using drugs or stealing shit.

I guess the family didn't want the pics down.

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Patlal said:

Fucking ridiculous...

The idiot paster couldn't keep his godamn retarded beliefs to himself, he had to ruin a family's funeral.

This is quite possibly the most absurdly, disrespectful retarded thing ever. I would have beaten th shit out of that fucking priest just for suggesting the idea of disturbing someone's funeral...

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Srirachi said:

Probably worst of all is that people always hear about pastors like this and never seem to hear about the kind of people I go to Church with.

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abltsandwich said:

Srirachi said:

Probably worst of all is that people always hear about pastors like this and never seem to hear about the kind of people I go to Church with.

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Unrelated to thread:  That must be what Muslims feel like when the fundamentalist Muslims go apeshit with guns and bombs in the name of Allah.

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Back on topic: How unfortunate and messed up.

mpd said:

What would Jesus do?  That's the true test of the faith and the test would be to embrace the woman as a child of Christ and move on.

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Exactly. And that pastor is doing an awful job.

Srirachi said:

I'm Christian - admittedly a horrid example of one - but I am a Christian and I have come to realize that Jesus was not here to condemn people. We're already condemned. Jesus came here to release people from the condemnation of sin.

People who do what this pastor did are misguided, imo, and working against the very thing they are trying to uphold.

Probably worst of all is that people always hear about pastors like this and never seem to hear about the kind of people I go to Church with.

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Jesus said, Let he without sin throw the first stone. Basically pointing out that every human is imperfect and to judge someone else hypocritical. I also like where the bible says, don't point out a speck of sand in your friends eye while ignoring the log in your own