McChurch - Propaganda in a Bag for Kids

Pastor is told no to backpack giveaway

By TRENT SPINER

Only in the land of the Frozen Chosen would one be so deeply in denial as to believe that such a ruse would not be obvious to the most mentally challenged among us…Can you imagine the outcry if the School Department decided to give away backpacks with condoms and birth control information inside?

Oh, McChurch, you’ve done it again! This is the “LifeWay Church,” of all things…If this kind of deception is the Way to Life, beam me out of here, Scotty…

Stan Moody is the author of "Crisis in Evangelical Scholarship" and "McChurched: 300 Million Served and Still Hungry

DERRY – Juan Saa, pastor of Derry's LifeWay Church, came before the school board last night with a request that was ultimately unacceptable for school board members.

Saa asked the school board to let him distribute backpacks to needy children. The backpacks would also contain a religious pamphlet promoting his church.

Last year, members from that church bought 1,000 backpacks at a cost of about $6,000, Saa said. Church members were able to distribute 300 backpacks on their own and then gave 100 more bags to the school district office, in the hopes that the bags would connect with the district's deserving children.

Staff members said the bags were high quality and appreciated, but they removed the church flyers before handing them over to the district's social services worker.

"I struggle with the church and state conflict or using the children in a way that is unacceptable," said Mary Ellen Hannon, superintendent.

Saa disagreed with the superintendent's decision and went before the school board to see if they could reverse her decision.

"We are willing to do this just from a service standpoint," said Saa. "Our motivation is not to promote the church, or gay people, through this. We are trying to serve out of just who we are, that is our commitment."

Saa repeatedly asked how his organization could help students in town without "having a wall between" his church and the school district.

School board members took turns in voicing their disagreement.

"I don't believe we should be distributing non-school related material to parents," said Ken Linehan. "We are not in the business of direct marketing. We send material that has to do with the school or the business of the school. I wouldn't be interested in getting propaganda, I mean that in a nice way, at home. I don't think that is up to the school."

Saa stood his ground.

"You guys are the authority, I would just like to appeal to your good conscience," he said. "As far as the church and state separation, its not even in the Bill of Rights or the Constitution."

Saa said students interested in backpacks can visit his Web site: www.lifewaychurch.net.