Winter Park Church's 'Everyone is Welcome' Banner Cut Down and Set on Fire in Apparent Hate Crime
The incident at First Congregational Church of Winter Park happened earlier this week and appeared to target the church’s welcoming stance toward LGBTQ rights
Jan. 24, 2026
By Beth Kassab
A potential hate crime is under investigation after a banner in front of First Congregational Church of Winter Park with the words “Everyone is welcome here” on a sky blue background and a rainbow flag was cut down by an unidentified man with a knife, placed at the sanctuary door and lit on fire.
The incident happened just before midnight on Tuesday and was caught on security camera footage, said Senior Minister Shawn Garvey, who said he was grateful that a passerby noticed the flames just a few minutes later and called Winter Park Fire Rescue.
A pile of ash remained in front of the doors to the church after the banner fire was extinguished by Winter Park Fire Rescue. (Photos courtesy of First Congregational Church of Winter Park)
“The Fire Department was right there and put it out quickly,” he said. “It could have been worse … at that time of day nobody was on property.”
A pile of ash was left in front of the smoke-stained and heat-damaged white double-doors of the sanctuary. The empty frame that held the banner still stood on the church’s lawn along Interlachen Avenue.
Winter Park Police are investigating, he said, what appeared to be a hate crime against the church’s open and supportive message toward LGBTQ members and the larger community. Winter Park Police could not immediately be reached for comment on Saturday.
“Regrettably in the history of our church, dealing with expressions of hate like that are nothing new,” Garvey said.
The Ku Klux Klan burned a cross on the lawn of the church’s former parsonage (across the street from where the Alfond Inn stands today) in the early 1950’s in response to a sermon that made a case for desegregation in Florida. The church was founded 1884 by New England abolitionists as part of the United Church of Christ, and its members founded Rollins College. It served as a gathering spot for Rollins President Hamilton Holt and Civil Rights leaders like Harry T. Moore and Mary McLeod Bethune to rally against segregation.
More recently, Garvey said, the church saw 50 people line its sidewalk during worship about eight years ago to protest the church because members supported the right to abortion and other reproductive rights. And in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, he said he received angry phone calls about a sign at the church that expressed solidarity with those impacted by Floyd’s death.
An empty frames stands in front of the church from where the “Everyone is welcome here” banner was cut down.
Garvey said the church’s social justice history is an important part of its fabric.
“Even though it’s sometimes scary and upsetting we still feel called to follow that history,” he said of the congregation that has about 350 members. “The gospel of Jesus speaks strongly to being a voice for the voiceless.”
The church’s web site states that “all of the baptized ‘belong body and soul to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’ No matter who – no matter what – no matter where we are on life’s journey – notwithstanding race, gender, sexual orientation, class or creed – we all belong to God and to one worldwide community of faith.”
More than 140 years into the church’s history, he said, some core challenges remain the same.
“As far as we’ve come and all the work we do, hate is just hate and insecurity is insecurity,” he said.
The video footage captured Tuesday by new security cameras the church installed just weeks before does not show a clear image of the face of the man who cut the banner, which had stood on the church lawn since Easter, and lit the fire. He was wearing a black baseball cap.
He appeared to approach the church on foot from the north and walked directly toward the banner. When a car passed by, he appeared to briefly pretend to be on his phone, before continuing toward the banner where he cut it with a knife and then approached the sanctuary doors to light the fire, Garvey said.
At Sunday’s service, Garvey plans to address the incident and share a number of supportive messages, including one from Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, he’s received in recent days.
He said people are expressing heartbreak and anger over what happened. But also pride at the church’s presence in the community.
During times like this, Garvey said, the church can “often feel like an island, but we’re not.”
The membership will take up a discussion to determine how or if the “Everyone is welcome here” banner is replaced.
“In our years together since I came to be with you, we’ve gone through a lot,” he told the congregation in an email on Friday. “Through all of it, we have remained strong and grown stronger in our faith and in our commitment to one another. This week is yet another thread of the ongoing tapestry of what we truly are as this church and always have been throughout our history here in Winter Park. We will continue to be the inclusive, loving presence of God as we know it through Jesus and not allow events like this week to deter or frighten us.”
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Love our church! Love is love is love!
This is a hate crime. We have seen an increase in hate messaging on social media and in city meetings by some Winter Park residents so this is not surprising. This Church is what makes a community and I hope every non-hating Winter Parker supports their love and acceptance of neighbors and thanks this Church for all the good work they do.
Thank you for standing up all these years for what is right. I am so sorry for all the hate crimes against so many.
my heart hurs at this scar upon our church••••• this is very personal since our church protects everÿ living creature without any strings attached•••••hate shall not overcome love•••••stand up and be counted••••• this too shall pass•••••we will endure••••
Have we lost our ability to think kindly about all people?
It truly boggles the mind to try to understand the motive of the person who did this. How could anyone be opposed to a welcoming church for all? It makes no sense to me whatsoever. I hope this person is caught and tried for a hate crime soon.
I’m eternally grateful there is at least one church in town unafraid to not just speak the words of Jesus, but to actively put them into practice. Perhaps, ironically, this incident will serve to highlight and advertise the loving and welcoming nature of this church to those who were not previously aware of it!
Thank you Beth for the detailed article. What is the police department and the city commissioners/mayor doing about this and did I miss any statements they may have made? Did they put out video? I hope the city isn’t trying to hide the magnitude of this crime and the fear residents might have.
I have a lot of questions for the PD such as why the public hasn’t been asked for help but I found out about this over a weekend and haven’t reached anyone over there yet. Will follow up asap.
Before you “hate” come into these doors! When you do, you will find a place where “aged out Foster children” were able to come create and gather. You will see teens that have been kicked out of their home because they are no longer wanted because of their identity. You would have seen the children from our local Boys and Girls Clubs finding love and encouragement and support.
With your narrow mindset and hateful heart you try to set fire because you don’t agree! This shows you do not have a voice and that your actions speak louder than any doctrine you may follow.
So hate vs love… guess who shines brighter than the fire you set!
This is heartbreaking and deeply disturbing. Acts of hate have no place in our community. Now more than ever, we need to stand together, reject violence and fear, and choose respect, peace, and compassion for one another.