Protesters demonstrate against Mars Hill Church in Southeast Portland

The Oregonian ^ | October 16, 2011 | Steve Beaven

[Bean Counter]

Portland, OR - Black-clad demonstrators gathered in front of the Mars Hill Church in Southeast Portland this morning to protest the church's stance on homosexuality.

About 20 protesters lined Southeast Taylor Street carrying flags and shouting obscenities as church-goers left when the service ended.

"Shame on you bigots," one woman yelled at worshippers as they left. "Shame on you homophobes. You're not welcome here. You're going to burn in hell."

She declined to comment for this story.

Brad Salyers came to Mars Hill from Wilsonville Sunday with his wife and two young children. . It was his first visit to the church.

The Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin, Salyers said after he walked past the demonstration.

But everyone is a sinner, he added, and Christians love sinners.

"We love homosexuals," Salyers said. "We love pot-smokers. We love liars and thieves."

Sunday was the first service at the church's new building at 3210 S.E. Taylor St. Mars Hill bought the vacant building in August for $1.25 million.

Mars Hill had scheduled its first service for Sept. 10, then cancelled the gathering because church leaders said they didn't want to conflict with that day's Belmont Street Fair.

Mars Hill Church was founded 15 years ago by Pastor Mark Driscoll. The church operates multiple campuses, mostly in Seattle. Driscoll preaches against homosexuality and once told his followers that yoga is "demonic."

News that Mars Hill was opening a church in Portland drew protests from some who opposed the church's philosophy. A kiss-in was scheduled on Sept. 10, but was called off after the service was cancelled.

Tim Smith, the lead pastor at Mars Hill, said Sunday that he had expected some sort of demonstration for the first service.

"We thought something would probably happen," Smith said. "But we didn't know what."

The service started at 10 a.m. and protesters showed up about 15 minutes later, according to a member of the church's security team. At first, protesters gathered on the sidewalk in front of the church, briefly blocking the entrance as church-goers arrived.

They moved to the street as the congregation began leaving. Later, after a request by a police officer, they set up on a sidewalk across the street from the church.

The protesters, some of whom wore kerchiefs to cover their faces, shouted profanities at adults and children.

"That's not how we would go about it," Smith said afterward. "But they have the right to say what they want to say."

Don Wallace, who lives across from the church, said he was "embarrassed and angry" about the demonstration.

"I don't agree philosophically with what's going on in the church," Wallace said. "But I certainly agree with their right to believe what they want to believe."

--Stephen Beaven

[rogator]

Close behind?

:o

[jazusamo]

Yep, I thought about that before I posted it. :-)