Nearly two dozen banner-toting protesters made a scene in front of Mars Hill Church’s new campus in southeast Portland on Sunday morning.
The angry pro-homosexual protesters were shouting obscenities at congregants as they left a satellite location of the Seattle-based church, according to The Oregonian.
“Shame on you bigots,” the paper reports one woman yelled at worshippers as they left. “Shame on you homophobes. You’re not welcome here. You’re going to burn in hell.”
Mars Hill first launched in Seattle in 1996, led by Mark Driscoll in the living room of his home. Today the church has multiple campuses, including the new one at the college campus. Mars Hill Everett launched with 787 adults and kids at two services on Sept. 18. The services are held in the Everett Community College Fitness Center.
Driscoll has preached against homosexuality, so Tim Smith, lead pastor at Mars Hill Everett, told The Oregonian he expected a protest. The protesters had reportedly scheduled a kiss-in for the first service, which was originally set for Sept. 10. Instead, some of the protesters shouted profane words at children and adults alike.
“That’s not how we would go about it,” the paper reported Smith as saying. “But they have the right to say what they want to say.”
