Housing Authority Cuts Ties With Church Of The Highlands

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The Housing Authority of Birmingham has severed ties with Birmingham megachurch, Church of the Highlands. The decision comes after controversial social media posts by the church's pastor, Chris Hodges, according to a report by the Birmingham Times.

Hodges was reportedly endorsing social media posts that came across as offensive to the African American community, including posts by Charlie Kirk, president of the conservative non-profit Turning Point USA.

"HABD Board of Commissioners agreed that Pastor Hodges’ views do not reflect those of HABD and its residents; and Hodges’ values are not in line with those of HABD residents," the HABD said in a statement.

The housing authority had an agreement with the church for resident outreach programs and social services at its Campus of Hope located in the Marks Village Public Housing community.

Although Hodges issued an apology for his social media activity last week, the HABD still opted to sever the relationship.

"I own my mistakes and ask forgiveness from those I have offended. Please know that I have learned, and will continue to learn, so much from this," Hodges said. "Over the last 20 years, our church and I have fought for the disenfranchised, marginalized, and hurting of ALL races in our community. But this week, I’ve learned that even with 20 years of loving and serving people, it’s still possible to have a blind spot that you just didn’t know was there."

Efforts by Patch to reach Church of the Highlands for comment are ongoing.