Restaurant Church caters to gays: Ex-UPCI pastor

[SDG]

Praise the Lord and pass the menu, please

In Indiana Bible Belt, restaurant-church catering to gays

By Ron Grossman
Tribune reporter
June 1, 2008



LA PORTE, Ind. — Some first-time visitors to Holy Macaroni pass through an entrance hall separating its sanctuary and dining room, glance at a display of local newspaper notices, turn on their heels and leave.

Apparently they weren't prepared to find the buildind contains not only the Italian restaurant but a gay-friendly church, both of them operated by co-chefs, co-pastors and lovers Randy Duncan and Daniel Wright.

....


The religious side of the enterprise is the New Life Community Church of Hope, a "gay-affirming" Christian ministry that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Sunday services here, which draw about 40 to 50 people, show that when Duncan left the United Pentecostal Church he took with him the denomination's enthusiastic approach to prayer. These are foot-stomping, hand-waving events accompanied by an electric organ, keyboard piano and a full set of drums.

The congregation is based on the premise that gay men and women could be spared the pain its pastors knew in other, more conservative religious groups.

.....


Duncan says he had crushes on boys from the age of 10 or 11 but tried to live a heterosexual life, in part because of his strong religious beliefs. He married twice, became a father and was ordained in the United Pentecostal Church.

Eventually, however, Duncan said the tension between his sexual identity and the denomination's condemnation of homosexuality became untenable, and in 1996 he divorced his wife and left his pastorate.

.....

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-holy-macaroni_bd01jun01,0,5713402.story

One more restaurant I won't be visiting.

[SDG]

"I prayed for Mr. Right," Duncan said. "And he sent me Dan Wright."

Okay pastor ... classic.

[Nahum]

Are we supposed to be shocked?

Surprised?

Angry?

[SDG]

Duncan got his spiritual revelation from a shrink .... apparently.

"The shrink said to me: 'What makes you think God gives a [care] what you do in bed?' " Duncan said. At first, Duncan was angry at the psychiatrist, but then the message began to sink in. Yet Duncan felt uncomfortable in Phoenix's gay scene. One-night stands weren't his style.

"I got down on my knees and prayed," Duncan recalled. "I said, 'Please send me Mr. Right.' "

[Nahum]

What reaction are you looking for Daniel?

Anger?

Tolerance?

Condemnation?

Justification?

[SDG]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

What reaction are you looking for Daniel?

Anger?

Tolerance?

Condemnation?

Justification?

Just sharing, PP.

I'll leave the reacting to you.

[Nahum]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

Just sharing, PP.

I'll leave the reacting to you.

Is this part of "the message" you hope to share with those who lurk here?

Pardon me, just wondering how this one fits into your agenda to win the hearts and minds of AFF's googlers.

[SDG]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

Is this part of "the message" you hope to share with those who lurk here?

Pardon me, just wondering how this one fits into your agenda to win the hearts and minds of AFF's googlers.

No agenda on this one ... just thought that the readership would find this to be a human (dis)interest story being that many of of us have links to the mothership.

[CC1]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

What reaction are you looking for Daniel?

Anger?

Tolerance?

Condemnation?

Justification?

How about sadness and rightous indignation?