Chicago’s 26th Ward alderman has stepped down. Billy Ocasio served 16 years on the City Council. He’s pushing Mayor Richard Daley to appoint a popular pastor to take his seat. But the pastor’s views on homosexuality aren’t sitting well with everyone. We report from our West Side bureau.
 
Rev. Wilfredo De Jesús has built New Life Covenant Church into one of Chicago’s largest congregations.

Ambi: Hallelujah.

The church’s 4,000 worshipers include many working people of Humboldt Park, the heart of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community. Rev. De Jesús says he speaks to their needs. He focused Sunday on household debt.

DE JESUS: Your financial freedom is not getting another credit card....

De Jesús says his church welcomes everyone.

DE JESUS: We have over 103 ministries in our church. Many of our ministries reach out to the 26th Ward -- hurting single moms, gang bangers, homeless. I have people who come to my church who are gay. I hug them, embrace them.

But that acceptance has limits. New Life Covenant is part of the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal fellowship that considers homosexuality a sin. Rev. De Jesús says his beliefs about sexuality stem from the bible.

DE JESUS: I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Last fall, New Life Covenant brought in a former transsexual named Sy Rogers to preach. Rogers speaks around the world about how finding Jesus set him on a new path. New Life Covenant staff members said the church recorded Rogers’ sermon. They declined to give us a copy. But here’s Rogers addressing a Florida congregation. He preached from 1 Corinthians.

ROGERS: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor male prostitutes, nor homosexual offenders or thieves, nor the greedy, nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. This is 2,000-year-old evidence that reminds us that saving sexual sinners is not new business with God.

In Chicago, many gay activists first heard of Rev. De Jesús last year. He was leading a group of clergy members trying to derail a planned city high school for gay students.

DE JESUS: I felt it that it was a form of segregation.

In Humboldt Park, several gay Puerto Ricans say the prospect of Rev. De Jesús joining the City Council worries them. None agreed to speak on the record. They say they don’t want to cross some Puerto Rican leaders who’re backing De Jesús.

A gay Puerto Rican on the city’s North Side is speaking out. Julio Rodríguez is president of the Association of Latino Men for Action.

RODRIGUEZ: We shouldn’t be afraid to say who we are.

But...

RODRIGUEZ: In the Latino community, especially the Latino gay community, we’re striving to feel confident and comfortable about who we are and what our views are and what our issues are.

Rodríguez says that makes it harder to tackle some of the 26th Ward’s pressing issues, like housing discrimination and AIDS. His group last week wrote Mayor Daley to express concerns about Rev. De Jesús.

The pastor insists if he gets the City Council appointment his personal beliefs won’t affect how he represents gay constituents. For example, he says, he supports domestic-partner benefits.

One of De Jesús’s most powerful supporters is Billy Ocasio, the former alderman. Ocasio has attended the pastor’s church for more than a year.

OCASIO: I’ve championed a lot of lesbian and gay issues, a lot of them as chairman of the Human Relations Committee. If people know me, you’re going to find that we don’t make these decisions...

MITCHELL: Did you speak with him about this before you recommended him?

OCASIO: Oh, yeah. We’ve had conversations on every issue, on housing, on every single issue there is. And really what it comes down to is protecting people and people’s rights. And I think you’re not going to find a better advocate than him.

To replace Ocasio as alderman, Mayor Daley has 60 days. Rev. De Jesús says Daley’s staff has already interviewed him for the post.