Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 2011)
OREGON S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE i Earlier this month, a right-wing extremist and anti-gay church charged into Southeast Portland, guns a blazin’, to convert the heathen masses of Portland to conservative Christianity. At least that’s what one would be led to be lieve by some o f the headlines. The pastor for Mars Hill Portland, a new location for the mega-church based in Seattle, says he was blindsided by negative media cov erage and ensuing backlash from the commu nity months before the new church was set to open. All the while, some LGBTQ_ leaders underscored a need for dialogue and toler ance— not belligerence and hysterics. 'Ihe Portland Mercury broke the story August 31 with the headline “Anti-Gay Megachurch Moving to SE Portland.” Ihe Oregonian ran a story online September 1 with the word “anti gay” in the headline (though it was later re placed with “conservative”). //«/ Out also ran a story, using the word “anti-gay.” “I don’t feel like that word describes us,” says the pastor o f Mars Hill Portland, the Rev. Tim Smith. “To me, ‘anti-gay’ crosses over to attacking specific people and making people not feel safe.” Smith says the word and the media cover age in general depicted the church as extrem ist, like the Westboro Baptist Church, which protests at military funerals with signs that read “God hates fags.” “That’s absolutely not the way we handle ourselves at Mars Hill Church,” Smith says. community SEPTEMBER 16, 2011 ¥ They Came From Mars (Seattle, actually.) 13_JS the LGBTQ^ community and evangelical Christians to further discuss these issues. “Too many times LGBT’ communities and religious communities are satisfied with extreme caricatures of one another,” Smith says. “The point of this dialogue is to hear more stories and learn what things we have in common. We want to know what’s going on in the community.” Some LGBTQ_ religious leaders echo this sentiment. The Rev. Tara Wilkins, executive director o f the nonprofit Community of Wel coming Congregations, says she thinks pro gressive communities should have a dialogue with Mars Hill. The Rev. Nathan Meckley of the L G B T Q ; welcoming Metropolitan Community Church of Portland says he isn’t comfortable with Mars Hill’s message about homosexuality, but that the church should be free to express its views. The Rev. Chuck Currie, United Church of Christ minister, posted an open letter August 31 to Mars Hill and Driscoll on his blog, in which he wrote that he hopes “Mars Hill would find Portland a welcoming community.” But he went on to write, “If you’re coming here to save the sinners o f Portland, don’t bother.” Smith seems to be in agreement with that idea. “We’re not going to shove our message down their throat,” he says. Mega-church’s arrival stirs LGBTQ community BY AARON SPENCER To be sure, Mars Hill is con “[Homosexuality] is not troversial, even among conser something that comes up in vative Christians. Its Seattle [ every sermon,” he says. pastor, Mark Driscoll, has been In the aftermath o f the me criticized for comments he dia blitz, Smith contacted Q_ made about male pastors be Center spokesman Logan having too effeminately. Lynn, who in the Oregonian The church also believes story had extended an invite homosexuality is a sin, though to Smith to see the communi so do several churches in Port ty hub. Smith took Lynn up land, even some in the Sunny- on the offer. side neighborhood, where the “Logan was very kind and new Mars Hill branch is lo fair in his comments about cated. Mars Hill also raised “Too many times LGBT us,” Smith says. “That was in eyebrows with a video posted triguing to me.” com m unities and on its website about the new Lynn explains his side: “I religious com m unities Portland church, which shows didn’t particularly view the images of rainbow flags and a are satisfied with whole thing as the fight I strip club while Smith says, know some people in the extreme caricatures of “[Portland] values sexual free queer community did.” one another.” dom as an end in itself with a Lynn gave Smith a tour of thriving sex industry that goes -REV. TIM SMITH, MARS HILL Q_ Center and told Smith back for more than a century.” about concerns in the LGBTQ_ But Smith says his priority is not to fight community, including recent incidents of vio- homosexuality. He says his goal is to help lence against LGBTQ_people. They decided to Mars H ill Portland plans to start regular services people learn about Jesus. in the future gather a group o f individuals from in January at 3210 SE Taylor Street. t ----------------------------------------------------- 1 ,:i. & I . THINKING OF REPLACING YOUR WINDOWS? it tí.*»?..* We are celebrating our 20TH year of advertising in Just Out, and for those same 20 years we have been selling and installing Migardc? Windows and Doors in homes just like yours. Volkswagen has 6 IIHS Top This year we have a special discount for our readers. So stop procrastinating, and call Garland Horner anytime - 503.283.9481 a friendly in-home proposal. vwvw INUOWS i / fc O O O II i INSULATED WINDOW CORP. 8124 N. Denver Ave. 503.283.9481 Ttve- bcST. Crash-tested. IIHS-approved. Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance' 3 Years or 36,000 Miles of No Charge Scheduled Maintenance. ASSISTING OUR COMMUNITY WITH PROBATE AND OTHER END-OF-LIFE ISSUES CCB 8 1 9 0 9 5 Adoptions Surrogacy Divorce, Custody Wills/Estate Planning Probate Employment Business Law W hichever occur* first Som» restrictions. S»* dealer or program for detail* 5 0 3 . 2 4 1 .3 1 0 3 www.bethallenlaw.com Armstrong Volkswagen Roth Alien I j u 20000 SE McLoughlin in Gladstone Just off 1-205 in Gladstone ARMSTRONGVW.COM t o l l f r ee 1 -8 8 8 -3 3 1 -6 3 1 4 lo c al 5 0 3 -6 5 6 -2 9 2 4 Das Auto. Beth A. Allen, founding partner: winner of the Oregon Gay & Lesbian Law Association (0GALLA) Silver Jubilee Award; 0GALLA Award of Merit; and the Basic Rights Oregon Superhero Award. Selected as a 2010 Oregon Super Lawyer. Founding member of the BR0 Legal Group; author of Same-Sex Marriage: a Conflicts of Law Analysis for Oregon; frequent local, state and national speaker on marriage equality.