Steven L. Anderson, pastor at Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona, claims that the Bible commands the government to execute gays.

Anderson made headlines last week when he told his congregation that an AIDS-free world is possible by Christmas. “[I]f you execute the homos like God recommends, you wouldn't have all this AIDS running rampant,” he said.

In a live interview with Spanish language Telemundo Arizona, Anderson was asked whether the Bible commands Christians to kill gays to eliminate AIDS.

“Well, it's not my job or the job of Christians to kill homosexuals,” Anderson said in Spanish. “But according to the Bible it is the job of the government to execute criminals and according to the Bible they are criminals. And it's the job of the government to execute killers, murderers and also homosexuals, according to the Bible.”

Anderson added that gay people are not welcome at his church.

On it's website, Faithful Word describes itself as an “old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, soul-winning Baptist church.”