Geneva College, a Christian postsecondary school in western Pennsylvania, dismissed a women’s soccer coach who advanced the LGBT movement and identifies as lesbian.
Kelsey Morrison was removed from her position at Geneva College, which is controlled by the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, after she endorsed the LGBT movement on social media. One post she shared on Instagram said “queer people offer precious gifts to the church,” while another said that “Jesus is radically inclusive” and quoted from the book of Matthew.
Morrison revealed in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that she identifies as lesbian, a reality which she did not disclose when she was hired by Geneva College two years ago. She was required to annually provide a personal statement of faith and sign a code of conduct endorsing the school’s beliefs about marriage and sexuality.
Geneva College said in a statement provided to The Sentinel that the school is a “Christ-centered academic community” that maintains doctrinal stances listed in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Catechisms, which associate repentance with the hatred of one’s sins and affirm that marriage is between one man and one woman.
“In order to maintain its religious character and identity, the college draws its workforce from among those who are willing to model and annually reaffirm their commitment to the truths captured in these documents,” the school said. “The college reserves the right to take appropriate action, up to and including separation from employment, if an employee engages in behavior or expression that contradicts or undermines these views.”
Morrison posted a reaction to her dismissal on her Instagram account, identifying herself as a member of the “LGBTQ community” but clarifying that she pursues “vocational singleness.” Geneva College maintains a statement on same-sex attraction and behavior which indicates that students who battle such temptations but seek continual repentance are not subject to discipline under the school’s outright ban on all forms of same-sex romantic activity.
Several alumni of Geneva College who spoke to The Sentinel supported the dismissal of Morrison as an affirmation of the school’s commitment to biblical sexual ethics.
One alumnus said he was “thankful that Geneva had the courage to uphold its Christian standards despite mounting pressure from the culture at large and its own student body which is increasingly being discipled” by the culture. “Many institutions are beginning to buckle under that pressure and I hope and pray that Geneva's administration will continue to be faithful in this way, and so be blessed by the Lord for their obedience,” he continued.
Another alumna commented that she appreciated Morrison’s desire to remain celibate and noted that “leaning on the Lord every day for strength” is a call for all Christians who battle various temptations. “Because Geneva is a private institution, they do have the right to fire professors and coaches if they do not adhere to the beliefs and teachings of the Reformed Presbyterian doctrine,” she added. “I was also thinking about the parents of the soccer players under the leadership and mentorship of this individual and would not want my child in that situation. After all, parents sent their children to this school specifically for Christian leadership and to be discipled according to the conservative values they were most likely raised in.”
