Local church flies Christian flag above American flag
A pastor in Cleveland County is taking a stand to put God first before his country.
Pastor Rit Varriale and members of the Elizabeth Baptist Church decided to fly the Christian flag above the American flag outside the building in Shelby.
He strongly believes it should always be “God before Government”, also the theme of the Sunday morning service.
“We plan to raise the flag as a symbol that our commitment is to God first,” Varriale said.
The church is taking a stand against the recent Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, along with their strong belief that prayer should not be banned in public schools.
“[We] have senior adults in our society that remember praying and doing scripture passages at the beginning of their school day. To declare something unconstitutional, something Americans did for
generations, is really ridiculous,” he said.
Church members who came out to watch the flags go up agree with the pastor. Some quoted the Pledge of Allegiance to make their case that it’s “one nation under God.”
“The value of it is we put God before country. That's the reason we put the flag over the country,” longtime member Billy Scruggs said.
Pastor Varriale says flying one flag over the other is not a sign of disrespect, but a symbol of how the church chooses to prioritize.
“I'm a former army ranger and an officer from the 82nd Airborne Division. That's all I need to say when it comes to being committed to our country,” he said.
The flag ceremony that has now started outside of Elizabeth Baptist Church will continue to e the routine for many years to come.
Pastor Varriale hopes this will spark a movement around the country. He first got the idea from another church in Shelby, Focus Missionary Baptist Church. They raised the Christian flag above the
American flag a few months ago.
Secondary story and more detailed below
Shelby church to fly Christian flag over American flag
SHELBY, NC (WBTV) -
In Cleveland County, Old Glory flies high. From shops, to homes, to houses of worship - the red, white and blue can be spotted on every street corner.
But this Fourth of July weekend, one Shelby flag pole will be reassessing its priorities. On Sunday, Pastor Rit Varriale will raise the Christian flag above the American flag in front of
Elizabeth Baptist Church.
"Our typical flag etiquette is to have the American flag above the Christian flag. But when you stop and think about it, it should be our commitment to God first, then our commitment to country,"
Varriale said.
The controversial move is one that Varriale noticed his fellow pastor, Walter Wilson, doing down the road a few months ago at Focus Missionary Baptist Church.
"As I was changing the rope one day, the Lord just laid on me that he is first and when he told me that, I switched the flags around," Wilson said.
Now, the two pastors are hoping to spark a movement across the country in light of the United States Supreme Courts recent ruling on same-sex marriage.
Varriale tells WBTV he believes Christians need to stand up just as the LGBT community has been doing recently.
"The reality is, they have been willing to sacrifice more and be more bold for their cause than the church of Jesus Christ for serving God, and that's got to change," Varriale said.
The decision is getting push-back online from some saying the move is disrespectful and unpatriotic. But this former Army Ranger says the move isn't about not loving his country.
"I really don't need a lecture on patriotism, I'm willing to give my life for my country. When you think of military motto's, for example, God and country, God first and then country," Varriale
said.
The two pastors know the move is sure to turn heads, but say they’re okay with that.
"We know that not everyone is going to agree with that. But that's not going to make us sit down and stop talking about what's important," Wilson said.
Wilson’s church will come together with Varriale’s church on Sunday morning for the flag raising. Service begins at 11 a.m.
