A Liberal Church’s “No Sinners Allowed” Policy
The North Coast Times tells of the Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad, California, which bills itself as “An Open and Affirming, and Inclusive Church with a Progressive Theology and a Commitment to Social Justice” (ht: Christianity Today weblog). The church told a registered sex offender to stay away from its Sunday services after he informed them of his status. I hope no conservative church would ever do that. It’s hard to imagine it happening at any church that cared about theology (which, I know, does exclude some conservative churches).
“One of our parents said, ‘As hard a conversation it will be to tell my child that there’s someone in my church who can harm him, it’ll be equally hard to tell him why the church is sending that person away,’ ” said the Rev. Madison Shockley, the church’s pastor….
According to Shockley, Mark Pliska, a registered sex offender from Escondido, told the congregation about his two convictions on Jan. 28, his fourth visit to the church.
Shockley said he asked Pliska not to return until the congregation could consider what, if any, actions it should take. The church has run its preschool next door, Pilgrim Children’s Center, for 30 years.
About 150 adults and 30 to 40 children attend services at Pilgrim Church each Sunday, Shockley said.
While many church members knew about the situation, most Pilgrim Children’s Center parents do not attend the church and learned of the situation only after receiving a letter from Shockley about two weeks ago.
Vista resident Jessica Muehlhausen is not a church member but has two children at the center. On Wednesday, she began a petition drive asking the church to bar Pliska from services. In an interview Thursday night, she said she had collected 35 signatures….
Shockley said he spoke to Pliska on Thursday night and learned that he had been evicted from his Escondido residence after TV reporters covering Muehlhausen’s petition drive showed up to interview his neighbors.
“It’s really, really sad,” Shockley said.
Shockley said barring Pliska from services is already an option being considered as part of a proposed safe-church policy. Other possibilities include allowing him to attend services, but with an escort who would be with him at all times. A new policy may be adopted in about two months, he said.