PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla — When it comes to allyship with the LGBTQ+ community—there's no question about where the Allendale United Method Church stands.
Reverend Andy Oliver leads the congregation here and ABC Action News sat down with him to talk about the Respect for Marriage Act—that just cleared the U.S. Senate.
"I mean, certainly, the passing of this act is a cause of celebration, but it also doesn't go far enough to protect all marriages," he said.
The act is an attempt to codify protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. If signed into law, the bill would require all states to recognize legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin."
That said, the bill wouldn't require states to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples and includes religious exemptions. It's a distinction that Reverend Andy and other advocates would like to see cleared up.
And it's the language that he says that makes all the difference, as he has fought within his own denomination for years to have the right to marry same-sex couples.
"Yeah, the United Methodist Church is still determining their language and rules around this, but Allendale is living as if the rules have already changed. We embrace breaking the rules to love everybody," said Reverend Oliver.
And as this bill moves to the U.S. House of Representatives, Reverend Andy says their fight and their love will continue.
"If we're going to be a church that's not going to love and create a safe place for LGBTQ people or interracial couples, then we need to stop calling our places of worship sanctuaries," he said.
