The year 2023 is now a landmark in the history of Quest Church, a Seattle megachurch founded in the throes of the modern social justice movement, under the “pastoral” leadership of Gail Song Bantum. Bantum, a vocal proponent of progressive theology and social change, leads this Seattle-based “church” with an unapologetic embrace of worldly ideals.

In an alarming yet increasingly commonplace trend, we watch as Quest Church abandons all pretense of obedience to the unwavering truths of the Bible. Brandishing a flag of social justice, Quest Church treads a path that takes it even further away from the gospel than it already was. The distortion and manipulation of the gospel to suit a worldly agenda, under the guise of “love” and “inclusion,” is not just foolish—it is an unequivocal evil.

Earlier this year, the denomination held a meeting to discuss whether or not they would expel both Quest Church, and another homosexual-affirming church, Awaken. Yet, it appears that Quest would preempt the actions taken against them and leave on their own. Earlier this week, Quest published an open statement on its website announcing its intentions to depart from its current denomination, the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), and completely embrace sexual immorality as its flagship identity.

We have discerned that, to be the body of Christ, we must embrace the fullness of God’s life in all of our members, including our LGBTQIA+ siblings. This belief emerges from our identity and values as an ECC church, not despite this identity and these values. We leave the denomination grieved that the ECC refuses to recognize God’s work in our midst, and yet hopeful for the ways the Spirit is moving in our community.

Scripture warns us in Galatians 1:7-8, “…there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” The Gospel is the embodiment of God’s perfect and divine will, unchanging and uncompromising. Any attempts to rewrite, distort or pervert it for sordid gain are not only heretical but also soul-damning.

Quest Church’s claim of embracing “the fullness of God’s life in all of our members, including our LGBTQIA+ siblings,” is a brazen contradiction of the clear teachings of Scripture. It is evident in Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26-27 that the Bible unmistakably labels homosexuality as sin. This ’embracement’ showcases the church’s perverted approach towards biblical commandments and truths.

Masking their transgressions under the banner of ‘freedom in Christ,’ they have morphed the concept of Christian liberty into an endorsement of sinful behaviors. Freedom in Christ as explicated in Galatians 5:13 is liberation from the bondage of sin, not a free pass to embrace sinful lifestyles.

Quest Church’s self-proclaimed allegiance to justice, compassion, spiritual renewal, and community is, at best, a facade. Underneath this veneer of virtuous ideals, they foster disobedience to God’s commandments. Micah 6:8’s call to “act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God” is twisted to fit a narrative that endorses sin under the cover of compassion and justice.

Their departure from the ECC due to their espousal of LGBTQIA+ ideologies is a testament to the severity of their waywardness. It is a tragic illustration of 2 Timothy 3:1-5, where Apostle Paul warned of perilous times when men will hold an outward form of godliness but deny its power.

Claiming to value “non-essentials of faith,” Quest Church has abandoned the most essential: obedience to God’s Word. Its embrace of cultural trends over biblical truths is not a benign misunderstanding but an orchestrated effort to march its followers straight into the pits of hell—all for temporal gain.

The social justice movement, instead of being an instrument of God’s love and justice, has become a tool for gospel distortion, numbing its followers into spiritual complacency, leading to their ultimate destruction. The church’s deviation from the path of righteousness is perilous, as stated in Mark 8:36, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

This brazen departure from the Gospel is not an act of love or justice. It is a grave deviation from the Word of God and leads its followers not towards eternal life, but towards eternal destruction.