SHELBYVILLE, Ky. —

A new chapter of controversy is unfolding in Shelby County, not in a church pew, but inside the public library.

Members of Reformation Church admit they checked out several LGBTQ-themed books more than a year ago and never returned them. Church leaders say the books remain with a family in their congregation, but argue it isn’t theft, it’s “civil disobedience.”

“It is civil disobedience because this is a civil matter,” said Jerry Dorris, an evangelist with the church. “The real theft is that taxpayer money was used to buy groomer material instead of good books for our children.”

In 2024, the church posted a video showing titles such as "My Two Dads" and "My Two Moms." Elders say the family decided the books were too “horrific” to bring back.

“We’re not standing in t

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