Anti-Gay Mega Church Moves into SE Portland
from Portland Mercury: Sarah Mirk
Mars Hill is a Seattle-based Evangelical mega church whose co-founder describes gayness as a cancer in sermons that reach millions of Americans every year.
The church has expanded in recent years from one church to nine churches, with plans in the works for three more. Including one in the heart of Sunnyside, one of the state’s most liberal congressional districts (90 percent of neighborhood residents voted for Obama in 2008).
The Mars Hill blog reports that the church has purchased this castle on SE 32nd and Taylor.
The church does a lot of work to reach out to young people, including making videos about “Biblical Oral Sex” and hosting sermons in old rock venues (the Portland branch even has a Twitter feed). Portland Pastor Tim Hill Smith, who grew up in Beaverton, is featured in this video about the church’s new Portland digs and relates Portland’s sexual immorality with his own tale of coming to Jesus.
“It is a city that is intensely independent and values freedom above almost everything else,” says Smith, in the video. “It values sexual freedom as an end in itself, with a thriving sex industry that goes back more than a century.” Unlike… every other city in America.
The SE Portland church has a capacity of 700. Built in 1905, the August 26th sale price for the old church is not yet public, but the building is worth $1.5 million. Services for Mars Hill will start Saturday, September 10 at 10am.
UPDATE 4:26PM— I just spoke with building owner David Rinella, who purchased the historic church with his wife back in 2007 for $750,000, and confirms that the sales price to Mars Hill was $1.25 million. Rinella’s family has been living in the basement of the building and broadcast videos of sermons from Dr. Gene Scott every Sunday, cooking up 60 eggs and seven and a half pounds of bacon for the eclectic group of attendees. Surprisingly, Rinella has been paying property tax on the building since buying it. “God doesn’t need a write off,” he says.
Thoughts on Mars Hill’s move to Portland from the Q Center and local progressive Reverend Chuck Currie below the cut.
Both Reverend Currie and Q Center Executive Director Barbara McCullough-Jones say the best response to a conservative church setting up in Sunnyside is to engage the group in open minded conversation.
“Mark Driscoll is the founder of the church and I’ve heard him say some good things in his ministry, and some bad things, like that yoga is demonic,” says Rev. Currie. “I think there are a lot of conservative Evanglicals who would love to come to Portland and reform the heathen liberals. But I think many heathen liberals actually have a lot to teach Christians. My hope is that as the ministry spends time in Portland, their hearts might be opened to new ways to understanding God. Maybe this will be a place for Mars Hill Church to learn.” Reverend Currie says he would be happy to invite the local pastor out to coffee for a discussion about religion and Portland.
McCullough-Jones meanwhile, points out that queer communities have often been in the reverse situation—where conservative neighborhoods don’t want LGBT-friendly businesses or centers setting up. “For us to want to generically throw a blanket over their ability for free speech, we would not want that done to us,” says McCullough-Jones. “I think they have miscalculated the support they’re going to have by going into that neighborhood. One of the most productive ways that people can address this is to go and talk with the pastor. Go as a family, go as a group, meet the neighbors.” McCullough-Jones says she would also be happy to meet with the pastor and, on the flip side, attend a service herself.
Tags: anti-gay church in Portland Oregon, Mars Hill in Portland, mega church in Portland, OR, SE Sunnyside evangelical church
I’m sorry but there is a difference between free speech and hate speech. Hate speech is an attempt to justify an indictment when fear overtakes rational inquiry.
I live in the neighborhood where this church is. I will ignore it. The more publicity you give them, the more they will grow.
Hello,
My name is Kenney and my wife’s name is Theresa.
We own a small coffee/espresso stand named Happy Espresso. We knew that with the economy the way it was and that monopoly coffee company across the street it was not going to be easy to start one of our own. We felt we had more to offer with better drinks, many more to chose from and better service. NOT to mention that our drinks are more reasonably priced.
Our biggest satisfaction is watching the expressions and listening to the comments of our customers when they first taste our drinks. We blend our own beans for that smooth, rich and unique taste.
We are a Christian family and know it was the Lord that Blessed us in putting this all together. It has not been easy but our faith kept us going and we are still here. We have been open now a year and a half.
We continue to grow but need a little more growth to be successful. We are calling out to our brothers and sisters to come down and try our drinks with a discount for doing so.
Any one walking up to our walk up window or driving up to the drive up window and
mentions the name Jesus will get 50 cents off all our already low priced espresso drinks. That means you can have a great espresso drink for fewer than 3 dollars.
We make over 30 espresso drinks plus other drinks and snacks.
Come see us at the corner of 102nd. And S.E. Stark in the back section of the food vendor lot across the street from Star Bucks. Look for our big yellow smiley faces
and our signs on the corner. Drive through open daily M-F at 7:00 a.m.
Later on the week ends.
God Bless You and hope to see some of you,
Kenney and Theresa ( Mom and Pop at Happy Espresso )
Well, praise Jesus!!!
It’s hard to imagine how bad this family is. I have refused to eat at any establishment that buys Rinella Produce. Out of everything I know,(and I know a lot) these people are bad news. Like most people, I hate liers and cheats. Many many people have spoken about a full blown boycott on any business that buys produce from these people. The issue will be raised again by people who know how to run these people out of business. You featured David Rinella as a prominate businessman in your article and that was a mistake. I would advise people to look at David Rinella criminal record and the Rinellas’ were caught stealing from neigboring suppliers and charities and everything they buy is COD, thier credit is no good… and no one really wants David Rinella around them.
The Rinellas’ make Portland look bad. THEY NEED TO GET OUT OF PORTLAND NOW!
Sorry Bud Jones, but that sounds like envy and hate to me, Do you the Rinellas family???…I bet you don’t and most of your comments tells me and other people reading this…..well friend …die