ATLANTA — Atlanta's former fire chief remains adamant he got fired for the religious beliefs he presented in a book he wrote.
Kelvin Cochran’s book, “Who Told You That You Were Naked?” quickly became a lightning rod for controversy.
Last week, hundreds gathered at the State Capitol to protest the mayor's decision.
Reed initially suspended Cochran for 30 days without pay last November after Channel 2 Action News discovered Cochran authored his faith-based book, which condemns the gay community, while serving as chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department.
Reed has insisted he fired Cochran not for his beliefs, but for writing the book without proper permission, then handing it out to several subordinates.
On Monday at the commemorative Martin Luther King Jr. Day service, Reed spoke to the controversy surrounding his recent firing of Cochran.
"As I read my Bible to prepare for what I would share today, I thought about my grandmother, and I do have a Bible for folks who were talking all that last week," Reed said.
"My Jesus is a pretty awesome Jesus, too," Reed added.
On Sunday, Cochran spoke to fellow members at Elizabeth Baptist Church in southwest Atlanta.
"The truth will set you free, but I've also found out that the truth will make a lot of people angry and that there are worldly consequences for standing up for righteousness in these current times," Cochran said from the pulpit at Elizabeth Baptist Church in Southwest Atlanta Sunday, where he addressed what he called the "blessings of suffering" and the basis for his views on sexuality.
"God intended for a man and a woman to procreate in the bounds of holy matrimony, and that's what got me in trouble," Cochran said.
Cochran's faith remains firm.
"I'm still a work in progress, so please be patient with me," Cochran told the congregation. "God is not through with me yet. "
At times, Cochran equated his perceived struggle to those of biblical heroes, like Daniel, Esther and Job.
"The good news is he was restored twice as much as he lost after the suffering," Cochran said. "I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back."
Cochran first became Atlanta's fire chief in 2008. A year later, he was appointed to head the United States Fire Administration. Cochran served for 10 months before Reed recruited him to come back to Atlanta.
WSBTV
