Page 8A
orter
April 18, 2018 ,
q
ATL chief
speaks in Smarr
By Will Davis workers.
publisher@rnymcr.net Cochran recalled how a
homosexual Atlanta city
Fired Atlanta fire chief council member led the
Kelvin Cochran told New move to fire him after dis-
Providence Baptist Church covering a book Cochran
on Sunday that he has seen had written in 2007, three
God at work despite 'losing years before becoming
his job for his faith, fire chief. Cochran joked
Cochran shared how God that he's always careful to
had helped him through tell people the title of his
the ordeal during a Sunday book came from the Bible
morning sermon as the before he tells them what it
church honored police is: "Who told you that you
officers, firefighters, EMTs were naked?"
and all other public safety "If I don't note that the
title is from the Bible;' said
Cochran to laughter, "they
say no wonder he was
fired:'
The book was aimed at
helping men deal with
sexual issues and includes
the biblical teaching that
God intended for sex to
be between a man and
woman united in marriage.
A council member took
exception and Cochran
was eventually fired. But
the former chief won a civil
rights lawsuit in December
when a federal judge ruled
that the city's rules restrict-
ing employees' non-work
speech were too stringent.
Cochran told the church
on Sunday that he's learned
that God prepares Chris-
tians for the trials they will
face, and that there are
consequences for being a
follower of Jesus. On the
plus side, Cochran said that
God gives greater spiritual
blessings to those who suf-
fer for their faith, blessings
that outweigh the losses.
Cochran said the impor-
tant thing from trials such
as his is that God receives
glory when His people are
faithful.
Despite losing his job,
Cochran said he still
believes that public safety
is the highest priority of
government, and said be-
ing a public safety worker
is a divine assignment of
great importance. Because
it's so important, Cochran
said it's also important that
From left, county
commission chair-,;
man Greg Tapley,
New Providence
pastor Brian
Moore, former
Atlanta fire chief i l
Kelvin Cochran,
Forsyth fire chief
David Herndon,
Forsyth mayor
Eric Wilson and
Macon-Bibb fire
chief Marvin
Riggins at New
Providence's cel-
ebration of Public
Safety officials
on Sunday, which
included a free
meal for public
safety persgn-
nel and their
families.
public safety workers enjoy
camaraderie and support
one another so that when
they have to respond to i
those tough calls, they will
do excellent work out of
love.
Cochran said he recog-
nized that when he was
with the fire department in
his native Shreveport, La.
They were always sharing
meals and spending time :i
together, said Cochran, and
those relationships helped :
them serve their commu-
nity well. i
"There's a correlation
between how we treat each
other in the fire station, and "-'
how we treat the public" ,
said Cochran. "-
That's another rea-
son, said Cochran, that ,1
Christians make the best
firefighters, the best police "
officers, the best EMTs and /
the best dispatchers. He
said angels always sur-
round public safety work-
ers because they are doing
the Lord's work.
After the service, the
church fed public safety
officials and their families
plates of BBQ, ribs and
sausage.
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