Strippers Turn Tables on Church

Posted on August 10, 2010
Viewed 4471 times
(100) comments

North of Columbus, OH, there is a battle brewing. It pits a church against a strip club. For the last four years, Pastor Bill Dunfee and several from New Beginnings Ministries have been rallying outside of the local strip club. OK, well... they weren't there to take advantage of the Fox Hole's services, but rather to utilize their bullhorns to talk down the businesses' potential patrons. They've taken pictures of license plates in the parking lot and posted them on their website.

And they've been doing this for the past four years.

After a lawsuit against the church was struck down because of free speech rights, Tom George, the club's owner, had an idea. If the church was going to protest his club, why not have his club protest the church?

And that's what they did.

As people arrived for services at New Beginnings Ministries, they were also greeted with strippers from The Fox Hole.

That's right. The tables were turned.

Score one for the Fox Hole.

Here are my thoughts...

1. Do I think stripping is an admirable profession? No. Owning a strip club? Double no.

2. Do I think the church was right in what they did? No. Not at all. Bullhorns yelling down people? Not cool. Taking pictures of license plates and posting them on your website? Way not cool.

3. Which is more important... that people stop going to strip clubs or that they find Jesus? Which is more important... that these women stop stripping or that they find Jesus? The one thing this church has done with their actions is pretty much guarantee that none of them will have anything to do with any of these people coming to Christ. We can only pray that others will be able to show them the love of Jesus in a more constructive way.

4. I get really upset when people, under the authority of the church, make the death and resurrection of Jesus into a license to be a jerk. Matter of fact, I think it's interesting to compare how Jesus treated 'stripper types' compared to how this pastor and church does. Jesus didn't whip out his bullhorn (hey, it coulda happened) and bully people. He doesn't try to shame them into loving him either. And he doesn't get angry. In fact, he keeps his anger for the Pharisees; the religous people who were always pointing their fingers.

5. We've got to get past the thinking that non-christians are going to act like Christians. They won't. Ever. Truth be told: if we were really all that serious, we'd have plenty of work just making sure that Christians acted like Christians.

6. It's so easy for some people to get so wrapped up in fighting evil that they lose any chance they ever had at stopping the evil they're fighting against. (Read that one twice)

Should Christians stand against evil and sin? Of course. I'm just not sure this is the way to do it.

So... if you're asking me which side I'm taking on this one... I'm more prone to side with the strippers. They simply turned the tables on the church that has been bullying them for the past four years.

What's your take?

I'd love to hear it.

Todd

PS -- I'm resisting all the temptation to say the obvious jokes (that church attendance is up 25% since the strippers showed up, or that the church's offering is now mysteriously missing all the $1 bills). That just wouldn't be cool.

Comments

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Todd Rhoades on Tue, August 10, 2010

CS—

Why would you automatically assume that they look only after felt needs?

Todd
John Atkinson on Tue, August 10, 2010

CS

They begin with just loving on them and building trust and relationships, then move to sharing the Gospel. It’s the first work of building trust and a relationship however, that helps them be open to hearing the Gospel. But trust me, sharing that the Gospel is the entire reason they are there.
RevKev on Tue, August 10, 2010

Way to go, Todd!
Peter Hamm on Tue, August 10, 2010

Great post, Todd. You wrote [PS—I’m resisting all the temptation to say the obvious jokes (that church attendance is up 25% since the strippers showed up, or that the church’s offering is now mysteriously missing all the $1 bills). That just wouldn’t be cool.] I just wanted to say… and yet… you did…

CS, I knew you were gonna say that.
Joshua Skogerboe on Tue, August 10, 2010

Excellent post Todd. Thought provoking. I believe the God has wired us all uniquely to use our variety to accomplish a far-reaching amount of “kingdom work” in His name. We all have our hot-buttons, our “holy discontent” in one area or another… those things that we can’t let go of, that we lose sleep over. One of mine is seeing people within the church hindering the gospel be their self-righteous behavior. Since when did having convictions equate to having freedom (or Godly endorsement?) to act like know-it-all, better-than-you jerks? Well said. I’m afraid in this case, I “side with the strippers” as well… to the degree that what i really want them to experience from the church across the street is loving concern, a willingness to build relationships, and a “Jesus with skin on” kind of love and compassion. Sure, that will require difficult conversations about sin and repentance and the free offer of forgiveness because of Jesus’ death on the cross. But don’t those conversations happen AFTER a loving relational bridge has been built? C’mon church! Represent Jesus with LOVE!
CS on Tue, August 10, 2010

Todd:

“Why would you automatically assume that they look only after felt needs?”

I didn’t. I wanted to know if/how they shared the Gospel with them.

I can say that with other ministries I’ve read about here on MMI that many times they address the felt needs, but never get around to sharing the Gospel with them. So I wanted to make sure that John’s friends weren’t only doing one without the other.

—
CS
Todd Rhoades on Tue, August 10, 2010

CS -

I’m not picking at you… really I’m not, but actually you did do that.

And you even gave the reason why you did: “other ministries I�ve read about here on MMI that many times they address the felt needs, but never get around to sharing the Gospel with them”.

Don’t know that I agree with that (in fact, don’t remember promoting any ‘only felt-need’ agendas here at MMI, but that’s ok.

It’s all good.

Todd
Peter Hamm on Tue, August 10, 2010

CS, you might consider that you are too suspicious of “felt needs” ministries. You do seem to automatically assume that they aren’t telling the Gospel.

But sometimes I wonder if your definition of sharing the Gospel is so narrow and specific in wording and concept that Jesus might not recognize it. Not accusing, just wondering…
Blessedways on Tue, August 10, 2010

Hello everyone. This my first discussion and I must begin with a quote from THE DEVILS OF LOUDUN, by Aldous Huxley; “Those who crusade, not for God in themselves, but against the devil in others, never succeed in making the world better, but leave it either as it was, or sometimes even perceptibly worse than it was, before the crusade began. By thinking primarily of evil we tend, however excellent our intentions, to create occasions for evil to manifest itself”.
CS on Tue, August 10, 2010

Todd and Peter:

I think you guys are actually right here in my assumption that prompted my question. And I may have a certain bias in looking at things that address, “felt needs,” in that light. I can see where both are you are coming from. For context, what set me on this particular bent came from my last church when they decided to help the community.

It was plenty of nice work, helping people out, doing some different things here and there to make some people smile, but the Gospel was not integrated into it. Instead, when I went so far as to ask people, “How are you going to tell them about Jesus Christ forgiving sins in your project?” I got a range from blank stares to people quoting the mis-attributed line of St. Francis of Assisi saying, “use words when necessary.” And when I started saying, “To do good works without the Gospel makes you no different than any other social club or organization,” the truth rubbed people the wrong way.

In particular to this story, when I have seen similar stories of outreach to people in the adult entertainment industry, whether it be XXXchurch or Heather Veitch’s ministry (remember her?), it seems like the Gospel is pushed to the back of the bus.

So, yes, I do need to watch myself in the, “felt needs,” bias I already have.

—
CS
Todd Rhoades on Tue, August 10, 2010

No problem, CS. We all have our biases based on life experiences.

When I was growing up… anyone doing anything humanitarian or ‘felt needsish’ was liberal. And I think that was mostly true 20 years ago. For some reason, the more conservative, evangelical church group decided to not be a part of doing things like that. Instead, we took the ‘gospel only’ route.

The pendulum has swung back the other way. Today, there are many great ministries that do great felt-need ministries AND present the gospel.

Good news can be presented by starting with good deeds.

I always try to assume that people are doing both rather than one or the other. I know, however, that that’s not always the case.

In fact, just yesterday, I was watching a video put out by the United Methodist Communications office. It was very well done. It was felt-needs based. But I didn’t see any attempt to share the gospel with the program.

I didn’t post it here because of that.

Hope that gives you some insight to where I’m coming from…

Todd
Peter Hamm on Tue, August 10, 2010

CS,

I also didn’t necessarily mean to be mean (I hope you sensed that), and in fact think you should be careful to continue to challenge on the presentation of the Gospel.

It is indeed a mistake to leave the Gospel out of our service efforts.

That said, my concern continues to be more along the lines of whether or not your definition of and vocabulary for presenting the Gospel isn’t sometimes the issue. Only you know that.

But I do know this.

Stick around! I enjoy hearing from you and need to!

Peter
John Atkinson on Tue, August 10, 2010

CS I totally get where you’re coming from and agree completely that the Gospel is critical to real life change. The group of ladies from our church that I was talking about always begin with simply starting relationships with these women so trust can be built, but rest assured they are there to share the Gospel, and do so when they think enough trust has been built where it can be heard.

Great topic Todd and thanks to everyone who has joined in on the conversation!
Leonard on Tue, August 10, 2010

CS, appreciate the self evaluation on this. It can be a tricky issue if we are not careful to equip people to present the good news.

The doing of good matters for many reasons, but to simply do good for the sake of good is not as much wrong as incomplete. Bridges of life, love, friendship are what God the Holy Spirit uses to convey the message of the Gospel to others.
CS on Tue, August 10, 2010

Todd:

“When I was growing up… anyone doing anything humanitarian or ‘felt needsish’ was liberal. And I think that was mostly true 20 years ago. For some reason, the more conservative, evangelical church group decided to not be a part of doing things like that. Instead, we took the ‘gospel only’ route.”

I understand your background, now, too. Yes, I would say that that approach of Gospel-only, purposely avoiding good works, is likewise wrong. It’s a partnership between good works to validate the Gospel of which we preach, and the Gospel explaining why we do good works. Thanks for the empathy.

Peter:

“I also didn’t necessarily mean to be mean (I hope you sensed that), and in fact think you should be careful to continue to challenge on the presentation of the Gospel.”

I didn’t perceive what you said was mean at all. It was simply the truth, and I always respect that. =)

“That said, my concern continues to be more along the lines of whether or not your definition of and vocabulary for presenting the Gospel isn’t sometimes the issue. Only you know that.”

Believe me, my definition is not as ironclad, strict, and so rigid that I would declare subtle deviations from a prepared speech to be heretical. =)

Here are the key things I would look for in a normal Gospel presentation:

1. The Gospel is presented in word or speech clearly. None of this, “I shared the Gospel by living well and doing good deeds,” mentality.

2. The fallen human condition, including sin and the penalty for sin, are discussed. In particular, how this relates to the life of the person with whom the Gospel is being shared.

3. The amazing grace offered in Jesus Christ is given to the humble, broken-hearted souls. He alone is the source of our redemption, and no work is given as an option for going to Heaven.

4. The response of the sinner, namely, repentance of sin and faith in Christ, is proclaimed. Not merely saying a prayer, raising a hand, signing a card, or joining a church, but someone who then believes in Christ like a skydiver believes in his parachute, and who wants to avoid sin at all costs from that point on.

“Stick around! I enjoy hearing from you and need to!”

You know you can’t get rid of me. =)

John:

“The group of ladies from our church that I was talking about always begin with simply starting relationships with these women so trust can be built….”

I’m happy to know that they are going in and building up these relationships. I know I have my own relationships with the street kids to whom I minister and it helps them out greatly.

“but rest assured they are there to share the Gospel, and do so when they think enough trust has been built where it can be heard.”

And this is the area where my antennae get raised and I start double-checking things.

In today’s society, we have this notion that in order to present the Gospel, trust and a relationship must be forged. Some describe it as, “Earning the right to speak faith to someone.” That if you give the Gospel without having a rapport that you will inadvertently turn them away from Jesus. And that’s not biblical.

The conundrum in this philosophy comes down to three main questions: 1. What if that point of trust never comes around? 2. What if that person dies in the meantime and the Gospel never gets presented? 3. And what is the biblical, objective basis for knowing when the time is ripe, or what verses legitimize this approach?

What I have found in the Bible is the straightforward commission to always share the Gospel, no matter what. This is why I always give the Gospel right as I do the good works, so the two are in tandem and lend credence to each other. Does that make sense?

—
CS