Church sorry for 'narrow-minded' NC ban on marriage equality

A California church is planning of placing billboards in North Carolina to apologize for the Christians who voted to add discrimination against LGBT people to the state's Constitution.

Missiongathering Christian Church in San Diego told WSOC-TV that they working to put up the first billboard in Charlotte as a way to speak out against Amendment One, a ban on same sex marriage that North Carolinians approved on May 8.

"Missiongathering Christian Church is sorry for the narrow-minded, judgmental, deceptive, manipulative actions of those who DENIED rights and equality TO so many in the Name of God," the billboard will reportedly read.

The church is hoping to raise at least $3,000 through the Givimo.com website to fund the campaign. People donating $50 or more will receive a T-shirt with a similar message, except instead of the church's name, it will say, "As a Christian, I am sorry..."

After California passed Proposition 8 in 2008, Missiongathering Christian Church put up a similar billboard in San Diego.

"As we began receiving emails and phone calls thanking us being encouraged by it from all across the country, even Canada, then we thought what if we put up the billboard again in response to Amendment One, not in San Diego but there in North Carolina," Alex Roller explained to WSOC-TV.

The first new sign would be placed within sight of the Bill Graham Parkway, near Interstate 85. Rev. Graham, along with other conservative religious leaders throughout North Carolina, had urged voters to pass the discriminatory amendment.

One North Carolina pastor, Charles L. Worley, earlier this month called for "queers and the homosexuals" to be put inside an electric fence where "they’ll die out."

Those remarks brought more than 1,000 protesters to the small town of Maiden over the weekend.

Watch this video from WSOC-TV, broadcast May 28, 2012.

(h/t: Talking Points Memo)