A Kentucky pastors open letter to Andy Beshear

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FIRST-PERSON: An open letter to Governor Andy Beshear
By SETH CARTER, Pastor FBC Paintsville Feb 11, 2026 Updated 11 hrs ago


Dear Governor Beshear,

I write to you as a Baptist pastor here in the commonwealth, as one who prays regularly for you in obedience to 1 Timothy 2:1–2, and as a fellow citizen concerned not merely for public policy, but for the integrity of Christian witness in our state.

Recently, you stated:

“Especially in a world with social media where everyone’s looking for the next authentic thing, for me, that’s my faith… Most of the decisions I make are based on that golden rule that says we love our neighbor as ourself, and that parable, the good Samaritan, that says everyone is our neighbor. And so, when I’ve taken actions like vetoing the nastiest piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation that ever came through my state, I described it in those terms. I said, ‘my faith teaches me that all children are children of God,’ and I didn’t want people picking on those kids.’”

Governor, I want to respond carefully and truthfully—because when Christ’s name is invoked publicly, clarity matters.

First, I commend your instinct to root moral reasoning in Scripture rather than mere political calculation. It is good to speak of loving one’s neighbor. It is good to reference the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37). It is good to reject cruelty or mockery toward any child made in the image of God.

But there is a profound difference between appealing to “my faith” and appealing to “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Christianity is not an individualized moral framework shaped by personal conscience or cultural moment. It is a revealed faith—grounded in the authoritative Word of God, historically confessed by the church, and objectively defined by the teaching of Christ and His apostles. When public leaders say “my faith teaches me,” the question must be asked: Is this “faith” anchored in the plain meaning of Scripture, or is it a private reinterpretation shaped by contemporary social pressures?

The danger of emphasizing “my faith” is that it subtly shifts authority from Scripture to self. It moves from “Thus says the Lord” to “This is how I understand love.” Yet, biblical love is not self-defined. The Golden Rule—“whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them” (Matt 7:12)—appears in a sermon where Jesus simultaneously affirms God’s moral law and calls for repentance and obedience (Matt 5–7). The command to love one’s neighbor is never severed from the prior command to love the Lord your God with all your heart (Matt 22:37–40). Love in Scripture does not mean affirming every self-conception; it means seeking a person’s ultimate good in submission to God’s design.

The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches that compassion crosses ethnic and social boundaries. It rebukes prejudice and indifference. But it does not redefine God’s created order, nor does it nullify biblical teaching on sexuality. To apply that parable as justification for affirming moral frameworks Scripture calls sin (Rom 1:26–27; 1 Cor 6:9–11) is to stretch it beyond its God-given intent.

You also stated that “all children are children of God.” Here we must be especially precise. In one sense, all people are God’s creatures and bear His image (Gen 1:27). In that sense, every child possesses inherent dignity and must never be mistreated. But in the New Testament, to be a “child of God” in the redemptive sense is not universal; it is the result of new birth through exclusive faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12–13). When theological language is used loosely in public discourse, it can unintentionally blur the gospel itself. I fear that is what you have done.

Governor, no faithful Christian wants children “picked on.” As a father, I have experienced firsthand the difficulty of parenting a bullied child. Bullying, cruelty, or hatred are sins against God and neighbor. However, disagreement grounded in biblical conviction is not hatred. Laws or policies shaped by a belief in the created order are not automatically acts of malice. A Christian may sincerely believe that affirming certain identity claims is spiritually harmful while still treating every individual with kindness and respect.

The deeper issue is authority. Does our understanding of love reshape Scripture? Or does Scripture reshape our understanding of love?

The historic Christian faith—confessed across centuries and traditions—has consistently affirmed that God created humanity male and female (Gen 1:27), that marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman (Gen 2:24; Matt 19:4–6), and that sexual expression is reserved for that covenant. These are not isolated proof-texts; they are woven into the fabric of redemptive history and humanity itself. When a public official claims that support for LGBTQ ideology flows from Christian faith, that claim stands in tension with the church’s historic and biblical teaching.

Governor, invoking the name of Christ while promoting policies contrary to Scripture places you in spiritual danger. That is why I write to you, not as a partisan adversary, but as a pastor who believes that leaders, like all men, will give an account to God (Heb 4:13).

Governor, authenticity is admirable. But authenticity is not the same as orthodoxy. Sincerity is not the same as submission. “My faith” must be continually corrected and conformed by “the faith”—the objective revelation God has given in His Word.

I urge you, respectfully and earnestly, to reexamine whether the positions you attribute to Christian conviction truly align with the teaching of Christ. Seek counsel not from those who will baptize cultural trends with biblical language, but from those who tremble at God’s Word (Isa 66:2).

I assure you of my prayers—for your leadership, for your family, and for your soul. May the Lord grant you humility before His Word, courage before men, wisdom in leadership, and clarity about the difference between personal conviction and the once-delivered faith of the saints.

In Christ,

Seth Carter