COGIC leader from Memphis appears to use anti-gay slur at recent Holy Convocation

Katherine Burgess | Memphis Commercial Appeal

The Church of God in Christ’s return to Memphis has grabbed headlines, but the African-American denomination has also drawn attention for another tie to Memphis.

A video posted online appears to show Mother Frances Kelley, a Memphian, using an anti-gay slur and telling a young man to “come out from among them sissified men that’s been hanging around you.” One clip posted to Twitter has been viewed nearly 10,000 times.

Robert Coleman, Jr., director of public relations for COGIC, confirmed that the video was of Kelley and was taken at the church’s most recent Holy Convocation that met in St. Louis earlier this month. The church will return its annual meeting to Memphis in 2021.

“We don’t have any comment,” Coleman said.

This is trash. COGIC is trash. pic.twitter.com/PSi5moNgos — Is this your coat? Did you come with anyone? (@DamoneWilliams_) November 12, 2018

When reached by phone Wednesday night, Kelley said she did speak at the convocation in St. Louis, but couldn’t verify the video without seeing it.

She was speaking spiritually in St. Louis, Kelley said, not how she might normally speak.

The video shows Kelley telling the young man, “God can’t use no men trying to be women. We call ‘em (expletive). I ain’t calling you that, understand that?”

Kelley referred other requests for comment to her bishop, who could not be reached Wednesday night.

COGIC teaches that gay sex is “aberrant and deviant behavior” and that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Some have pointed to the video as one reason they don’t want COGIC to return to Memphis in 2021.

Kelley is now in her mid-80s. According to an archived Commercial Appeal story, she was the first woman to co-host a television talk show in the Midsouth.

Since becoming a leader in the Church of God in Christ, Kelley has been national director of the church’s intercessory prayer ministry.

The video of Kelley is not the first time the denomination has drawn attention for comments about sexual orientation.

During the 2014 convocation, a young man exclaimed, “I’m not gay no more,” going on to say he will not carry a purse, put on makeup or date a man. That later resulted in an apology from the church’s Presiding Bishop Charles Blake, Sr.

"We respect, or we expect, that our clergy and laity will be civil and considerate as they speak to men and women regarding issues related to our Christian Faith,” Blake said in 2014, according to WMC Action News 5.

Katherine Burgess covers county government and the suburbs. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.