BROOKLAND. AR- Dylan Settles says over the weekend he got an unexpected letter from his church.
He has been a member of Woods Chapel General Baptist Church in Brookland for the last six-years, but says the past five months he's had spotty attendance.
"And they probably sent me a letter saying hey we missed you or we want to come to this fall festival that we're having," Dylan explained.
However, when he took a closer look at the letter, he realized it was just the opposite.
The letter said that the church board had voted to take away his membership because he is gay.
"I was like in awe. I was in so much shock. I couldn't read like the rest of it," Dylan said.
Three months ago, Settles revealed his sexual preference to his parents after years of struggling with it.
"I asked for God to kind of just take it out of my life and give me some hope and faith that I could find a wife or a girlfriend or something like that'
But he says that lifestyle is not for him.
"I was tired of living for somebody else. Living for my parents or my friends or whoever andI kind of just chose to live for what I wanted and be happy," he explained.
He put the letter on his Facebook page, where it has been shared more than 1,700 times, as some have replied with kind words and invitations to other churches.
But he's also gotten some backlash.
"They've been throwing bible verses at me," Dylan said.
The letter says if he repents for his lifestyle he'll be welcomed back to the church, but settles says no thanks.
"I don't feel comfortable sitting at pew or sitting beside my parents when all I'm going to see is people pointing their fingers at me because of the lifestyle I chose," Dylan said.