“Former homosexual” Jim Domen (pictured) is leading a group of California pastors who are vowing to reopen their churches on May 31 — Pentecost Sunday — regardless of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus restrictions.
Domen, based in Southern California, is the founder of Church United, which he says represents 1,000 churches in the state. On Thursday, he organized a rally in East Oakland calling on Newsom to allow churches to reopen as “essential.”
Berkeleyside.com reports: Bishop Bob Jackson, the leader of Oakland’s Acts Full Gospel Church who is also running for the Oakland City Council District 7 seat this year, hosted Thursday’s rally at his church, but the event was organized and led by southern California pastor Jim Domen. Domen describes himself as a “former homosexual” and promotes a right-wing agenda that includes legalizing discrimination against LGBTQ people, banning abortion and criminalizing undocumented immigrants. He is a believer in scientifically discredited “gay conversion therapy” and has been favorably profiled by anti-LGBTQ evangelical media for opposing California’s Proposition 8 and other civil-rights reforms. Domen is also a supporter of President Donald Trump, who has argued, against the advice of medical experts, for reopening states.
The pastors first announced their plans to reopen regardless of Newsom’s order last week, according to Fox News.
“We have a pastor in the south, in Chula Vista feeding hungry people a mile long in cars, socially distancing,” Domen said at the time. “How can the church not be essential?
“How can Costco stay open but not the church?” he said.
Domen made news last year when he sued Vimeo for removing his conversion therapy videos. A judge later threw out Domen’s lawsuit.
Watch a report from ABC 7 showing Domen speaking at Thursday’s rally below.
