Minister to homosexuals wages EEOC complaint after losing job

RALEIGH, N.C. (BP)--When Tim Wilkins urged the 1997 Southern Baptist Convention to promote healing for homosexuals, he didn't know it would cost him his job.

Formerly employed by the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer, Wilkins was fired after a front-page article about the motion and CROSS, an ex-gay ministry he founded, appeared in the newspaper.

After its publication last August, the member of Providence Baptist Church said he faced hostility from superiors in the circulation department. Later that month, he was suspended for three days and then fired.

His loss of a position in direct sales occurred just two months after he received an overall job rating of two-plus, or commendable. The highest grade is one for exceptional work, according to a copy of the review Wilkins provided to Baptist Press.

The year before, supervisors rated him "excellent" in all 11 categories of a job skills assessment.

A complaint Wilkins filed with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) is sketchy on details. But he alleges the newspaper is guilty of religious discrimination for firing him because he believes that homosexuality is wrong -- although that reason wasn't cited in his dismissal.

In the latest issue of his ministry's newsletter, Wilkins wrote that he was suspended for alleged insubordination, lack of respect for management and failure to take responsibility.

But prior to that, he had never received an oral or written reprimand, nor had his work ever been called into question, he noted.

When asked for the reason he was being fired, the director of human resources cited failure to perform his job duties at the required level, Wilkins recounted.

"This is preposterous," he wrote in the newsletter. "The contents of my personnel file (performance appraisals, evaluations, an award, etc.) will show otherwise."

The EEOC is still investigating his allegations. But if the federal agency finds he has a valid complaint, he plans to file a lawsuit against the newspaper.

"I don't think reinstatement to The News & Observer would work at this point," said Wilkins, a former SBC pastor who still speaks regularly in churches and other forums. "I hope to get an admission of wrongdoing and (monetary) damages."

He is represented by the Liberty Counsel, a religious civil liberties group based in Orlando, Fla. Formed in 1989, the nonprofit organization also provides legal defenses involving violations of persons' First Amendment religious rights.

Attorney Nicole Kerr said the council's only similar case was getting a Washington lawyer excused from employer- mandated "sensitivity" training because it supported the view that homosexuality is normal.

Liberty Counsel has handled numerous other religious rights cases," Kerr said. "Frequently we can resolve these issues before they go to court."

Baptist Press contacted The News & Observer's publisher twice for a comment on the case, but he did not return phone calls.

The day The News & Observer article appeared last year, Wilkins learned it may have upset his employer. A co-worker told him his name had been discussed in a meeting and a question raised of whether the story would adversely affect circulation.

The article proved controversial, generating more than a dozen letters (pro and con) to the editor. It included an extensive discussion of his background and the formation of CROSS (CReated for the OppoSite Sex) Ministries. Wilkins and his wife, Lisa, organized it two years ago to reach out to homosexuals.

His concern for homosexuals stems from his own experience. Although baptized at age 9 in an SBC church, in his teens confusion over his identity and sexuality led to a series of sexual encounters with men.

Wilkins stopped after realizing homosexuality was incompatible with biblical teachings, he said, but it wasn't until his early 30s -- after a decade of celibacy and prayer -- that he felt desire for women. He and Lisa were married in 1992 after meeting at a Christian singles seminar.

Many Christians stop short of delivering the message of hope and change the homosexual community needs to hear, Wilkins said. His motion at the '97 convention advocated spreading that message.

He had originally planned to speak in favor of the resolution to boycott The Disney Company because of its promotion of homosexuality and other immoral ideologies.

While he didn't get the opportunity, he later moved that the North American Mission Board (NAMB) contact a reputable ex-gay ministry to learn about resources for ministering to those affected by homosexuality.

The motion also called on the NAMB to aggressively promote these resources to all agencies, state conventions and local churches as part of a campaign to promote healing for homosexuals.

Martin King, public relations director for the board, said trustees had taken action on the motion. They will release their report at the upcoming SBC annual meeting, June 9-11 in Salt Lake City.

Regardless of the outcome of his case, Wilkins said he hopes Christians will recognize the harm caused by homosexuality and let homosexuals know that God can change them.

"Unfortunately, there is a taboo and stigma associated with this sin," he said. "Yet, to tell the homosexual all he needs to do is repent is as ludicrous as telling someone who suffers from anorexia nervosa all she needs to do is eat. True, repentance is essential to change, but many underlying issues regarding homosexuality need to be addressed."