One day before her son's funeral, a Florida mother says she was told by her church that it would be "blasphemous" to hold her son's funeral at the church because he was gay.

Baptist Pastor T.W. Jenkins of New Hope in Tampa said he was unaware that Julion Evans, 42, was gay when he agreed to proceed over his funeral. However, he received complaints from his congregants after a newspaper revealed that Evans was married to another man in his obituary.

Evan's mother said she received a phone call about the canceled service while she was at her son's wake, standing over his casket, reports Salon.

"It was devastating," Julie Atwood told NBC affiliate WFLA. "I did feel like he was being denied the dignity of death."

She said she was also told that it would be "blasphemous" to hold the services at their family church because of her son's sexuality.

Speaking to WFLA-TV, Pastor Jenkins explained why he decided to cancel the service last minute, stating that it would go against his moral principles.

"Based on our preaching of the scripture, we would have been in error to allow the service in our church. I'm not trying to condemn anyone's lifestyle, but at the same time, I am a man of God, and I have to stand up for my principles," Jenkins said.

Evans' widower, Kendall Capers, said they have been together for the last 17 years and decided to get married in Maryland last year. However, Evans died after losing a 4-year battle to a rare incurable and painful illness called Amyloidosis.

He said that their marriage was no secret.

"Everyone who knew us knew about our relationship," he said. "We didn't keep secrets."

He added that he thinks the abrupt cancellation was "disrespectful" and "wrong."

"Regardless of our background, our sexual orientation, how can you wait that long and put somebody in a bind when they're going through a loss?" he said.

"This is 2014, this is not the 60s or the 70s. So at the end of the day I just want his wrong-doing to be exposed."

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