God Hates Changepoint & Bieber
The Westboro Baptist Church is making plans to picket another Anchorage location on its whistle stop Hate Tour of the Last Frontier. Their destination? Changepoint Church. WBC had already announced plans to picket the Alaska Native Heritage Center on the morning of June 1 to voice their distaste about all that unholy Native Heritage and “diversity.” While they’re in the neighborhood, they’re going to stop by Alaska’s #2 mega-church and let ’em have it for being “lukewarm” about their Christianity. There is only one other mega-church in the city – The Anchorage Baptist Temple – which so far has been passed…
“True Christians?” Hardly.
I grew up in the First Organic Free Range Christian Church of Homer. OK, It didn’t say that over the door, but it seemed like it at the time. I played piano for the congregation and was always asking questions. I know. You’re shocked. Irreverent? I didn’t mean to be. I just wanted to figure it all out. I had patient teachers and living examples and was on the winning Bible Bowl team. I no longer attend a church. I have a hard time reconciling what many churches say with what Jesus said. This week a friend sent me…
Audit Committee To Discuss ABT Tax Report
On Sunday, July 15th, the Anchorage Daily News ran a comprehensive story by Richard Mauer. It discussed a determination made by municipal tax assessor Marty McGee regarding accusations that the Anchorage Baptist Temple had violated the law relating to specific tax-exempt properties belonging to the church. Mel Green at Bent Alaska gives us some background: “The issue was first reported in a story broken by Bent Alaska on August 29, 2011, based on court documents in the divorce trial of ABT pastor Jerry Prevo’s son Allen Prevo and Holly Jo Jaggers (who returned to her maiden name after the divorce),…
Minnery Misrepresents One Anchorage Fundraising
by Mel Green (Originally posted at Bent Alaska) Nearly 1,100 Alaskans — about 75% of contributors — have so far donated to One Anchorage, a March 7 press release announced. But it didn’t take long for anti-LGBT leader Jim Minnery to claim that “Outside Gay Rights Funds Bankroll Prop. 5 Supporters,” completely ignoring One Anchorage’s numerous in-state contributors. Minnery, president of the antigay/antitrans Alaska Family Council and chair of its associated 501(c)(4) advocacy organization Alaska Family Action, is also chair of the anti-Proposition 5 group “Protect Your Rights — Vote No on 5.” Proposition 5, the Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative,…
Prevo divorce documents raise questions about Anchorage Baptist Temple house
by Mel Green Court documents in the divorce of Allen Prevo, son of Anchorage Baptist Temple pastor Jerry Prevo, and Holly Jo Prevo raise questions about ABT religious exemption housing. Or, in the judge’s words, “if there was a tax appraiser or a reporter from the Anchorage Daily News, things would not look good… it’s pretty loosey-goosey to me.” Citing Alaska Statute § 25.20.120, which provides the option of sealing court records in proceedings involving child custody, attorney Wayne Anthony Ross on August 3 filed a motion to seal the records in the case of Allen Prevo v. Holly…
Bible Purple
By John Aronno (Alaska Commons) There’s a truck that’s been driving around town. I saw it sputtering down Northern Lights Blvd last week as I gazed out the window at the Spenard Roadhouse. The four-wheeled apocalypse barker is touting the message that a massive, worldwide earthquake is going to hit us, giving way to the Rapture, and ending with the complete obliteration of the Earth one month later. Judgment day, according to this group, will happen Saturday, May 21st, reminding us of the utmost importance of gettin’ down on Friday. There’s nothing new about End Times warnings (in fact the…
Isn’t There an Ice Floe Somewhere That Needs a Homophobic Preacher?
If there is such an ice floe, I know plenty of people who would gladly escort Jerry Prevo on to it, and ceremoniously shove him off the shore with their foot to a destination far far away…or perhaps to no destination at all. Prevo, of the Anchorage Baptist Temple has been a notorious opponent of civil rights for the LGBT community in the past, and he shows no signs whatsoever of intellectual or moral evolution. He does, however, continue to throw stones, embrace divisiveness, and can now take credit for this: Is this a joke? It looks like one, but alas, no. There’s…