The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is an American, unaffiliated Primitive Baptist church in Topeka, Kansas, that was founded in 1955 by pastor Fred Phelps. It is widely considered a hate group, and is known for its public protests against homosexuals and for its usage of the phrases "God hates fags" and "Thank God for dead soldiers". It also engages in hate speech against atheists, Jews, Muslims, transgender people, and other Christian denominations. The WBC's theology and practices are widely condemned by other Christian churches, including the Baptist World Alliance and the Southern Baptist Convention, and by politicians and public figures, including former U.S. President Barack Obama.
The headquarters of the Westboro Baptist Church with the sign "godhatesamerica.com". The graffiti on the sign reads "God Hates The Phelps".
Sunday worship with Pastor Timothy Phelps at lectern, 2018
Fred Phelps preaching
Counter-protester standing in front of WBC at Brown University in May 2009
Topeka is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 126,587. The Topeka metropolitan statistical area, which includes Shawnee, Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, and Wabaunsee Counties, had a population of 233,870 in the 2010 census.
Image: Topeka, Kansas
Image: Kansas State Capitol in Topeka (44441302334)
Image: Constitution Hall Topeka, 429 S. Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS
An 1869 bird's-eye illustration of Topeka