Journal - Picketing Churches Over Support of Trump
10/22/24
Trump Rally - First Horizon Coliseum - Greensboro, NC
For my “swan song” with my trusty sandwich board, I staked out the Trump rally. The doors opened at 3:00 pm so I got there around 1:30 and set up at the main intersection into the complex. Sadly, I was the only protester there. I was facing the traffic going into the parking area and tried to make eye contact with cars stopped at the light. To my surprise, reactions were about half and half. Many gave a “thumbs up” or a beep or a wave…some said “amen.” One said “Jesus don’t know Trump” (making me think of Matthew 7:23 “then I will declare to them, ‘depart from me, I never knew you’”). Another said “you’re doing the Lord’s work.” On the other side of the coin, there was the usual mixture of expletives, insults, finger gestures, maniacal laughter, and “TRUMP 2024!” exclamations. One called me “a devil” (bringing to mind Matthew 10:25 “If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!”). Another civilly informed me “I’m a Christian and I beg to differ with you.” I sighed and said “well, it’s a free country…” I wasn’t there to argue with the “faithful.” Although I was the only protester, there was a plane circling with a banner that read “Project 2025…unchecked power for Trump” and a truck with display screens on the side running anti-Trump ads. I stayed about 2 hours. When I left, I decided to circle the complex to see what was going on. I discovered that the crowd of people still waiting to get in (as well as swag and food vendors) were on the backside and I could have gotten very close while staying on the sidewalk. But I was too tuckered out to attempt another round. Perhaps it was for the best. Maybe God was protecting me from the “crowd mentality” that would have surely ensued. Or maybe He was protecting them from saying and doing things they would regret. Perhaps both…In any case, much seed was sown and, hopefully, some fell on good soil.
10/10/24
J.D. Vance Town Hall - Greensboro, NC
For the first time, I really felt like I was under some sort of spiritual attack intended to prevent me from doing this. It’s hard to describe. It wasn’t fear. It was more despair. But the Lord got me through it.
I took half a day off for the chance to bring the message to this secular political event. It was held at the Koury Convention Center so I “reconned” the location and found that many people were already in line to enter. I wanted to set-up across from the hotel entrance but that was private property and they would be within their rights to ask me to leave. So I figured the next best location would be the main intersection everyone would have to go through to enter the parking area. I got there around 2:00 pm and set the sign facing those attending the event and stayed until about 5:00pm.
It was a busy intersection and security was tight. There were police on foot, on bicycles, and in vehicles as well as what appeared to be some Special Forces guys and non-descript black SUVs (Secret Service, I presume). An officer came over and read the sign. And a few minutes later I noticed that a police car and a black SUV had pulled up on the sidewalk behind me. They stayed a few minutes and apparently decided I wasn’t a threat and left. Around 3:30 pm I heard a helicopter getting closer and closer and turned around and a police chopper was coming right at me. I waved and it landed about a hundred yards away near the police command center. A little while later I turned around and saw a group of about a dozen people coming towards me that I initially mistook for journalists (because some were carrying cameras). But they were dressed more like military (perhaps a Secret Service ground team).
I received more positive responses than I had anticipated; a few waves, beeps, thumbs up, photos. One person asked if Trump was in town and I told her it was Vance. She said, “he’s so stupid!” But they weren’t all positive. One said something derogatory but I couldn’t tell what through her mouth full of french fries. Another gave me the “universal gesture of peace” and apparently mistook me for a female canine and offered to introduce me to animal husbandry. Some just looked angry. Then there were a couple of “Trump” trucks decked out with flags, signs, and bumper stickers. A lot of red hats. The “prince of the power of the air” was at work and almost blew down my sign a couple of times. However, much seed was sown. Hopefully, some fell on good ground.
10/6/24
Central Triad Church - Winston-Salem, NC
It was a cool, gray day but a few seeds were sown. One thumbs down but a few waves and thumbs up! A golf cart full of guys from the church cruised by slowly to see what the sign said, but I didn't have the opportunity to engage anyone in conversation. We’re in the end game now so I don’t know how many more times I’ll be able to do this before the election. But the fruit is up to God. And I have a couple of other ideas…
9/14/24
Life Surge conference - Bojangles Coliseum - Charlotte, NC
This is a series of one-day events featuring Christian celebrities that claims to teach Christians “why and how to create and multiply financial resources for Kingdom impact.”As you might imagine, the average attendee is probably pro-Trump. So I got up early, drove to Charlotte, and set up my sign in front of the coliseum. I got there around 7:45 am and the traffic was backed up in both directions to get in. They had plenty of opportunity to read the sign so that was good. Only a few responded…some thumbs-ups, waves, “amens,” and one guy that yelled something I couldn't understand. One of the parking lot attendants said “you’re two days too late” (referring to the Kamala Harris rally that occurred there). As always, I prayed for God to prepare the way ahead of me, anoint the words with His Spirit, and then water the seed that was planted. The fruit is up to Him!
8/4/24
The Summit Church - Kernersville, NC
One of the obstacles I’ve run into are the churches where there is no sidewalk at the entrance. As long as you’re on a sidewalk on a secondary road, you’re clearly on public property and have the right to picket. But it gets a little fuzzy without the sidewalk because where the public right-of-way along the shoulder of the road ends and private property begins can vary with each county and city. So it increases the risk of conflict which is what happened today.
Anticipating such a situation, I had consulted with an online legal service concerning picketing along secondary roads where there is no sidewalk and felt pretty confident that I wouldn’t be breaking any ordinances.
The entrance to this particular church was long and winding and there wasn’t a good spot for me to park. So, after knocking on their door and finding no one home, I parked at the fire station across the street. I set up near the exit and before long a police officer pulled up from the church. He said he was just there to direct traffic and that was it. Then he walked over and asked if I knew where the property line was there and neither he nor I did. I mentioned that I had consulted with a lawyer concerning the right-of-way. About that time, a golf cart with a lady and a gentleman in it pulled up and said that all the area that was mowed was private property. We proceeded to debate back and forth as to where I could stand (with them expressly stating several times that they didn’t want me there at all). I remained polite and calm in tone and replied that I understood their concern (being a former pastor) while trying to find a compromise where I could stand with the sign. I think the police officer standing there the entire time served to keep the tone relatively civil despite the fact that the gentleman interrupted our discussion stating that “he’s saying he’s not gonna leave!” The lady then said that I was disrespecting their church and should leave. I replied that no disrespect was intended and that what was intended was correction. I explained that I considered the people here my brothers and sisters in Christ and if there was another way for me to reach them then I would. She then suggested that I stand across the street and when I replied that I was willing to do that they again said that they didn't want me there at all because they were focusing on Jesus and didn’t want to “get political.” But I just repeated that I would stand across the street and proceeded to take my sign over there.
They seemed resigned to the fact and left. And while the police officer directed traffic, he and I had a good conversation. It actually worked out for the best because it put me in the shade and directly in front of the exit. So while the people waited for traffic to clear, they had plenty of opportunity to read the sign! This was a pretty large church so there were a lot of cars and a lot of seed was sown. Some stared coldly, some laughed, some beeped or waved or gave me a “thumbs up,” and one young man cheered and fist-pumped! All in all, it was a good day!
Addendum: I just remembered and thought this was important. At one point the lady from the church said that I should pray about what was going on. I replied “I have…and I do, but like it says in Ecclesiastes, there’s a time for everything. There’s a time to pray and a time to speak…”
7/21/24
Mercy Hill Church - (Clifton) Greensboro, NC
In the wake of the assassination attempt on Trump last week, I had to think and pray long and hard as to whether I should do this anymore. I had concerns about contributing to the tension in our society as well as for my own safety. But I eventually came to the conclusion that nothing had really changed. In fact, the need for this message to be heard by the churches was even greater. So…off I went.
When I arrived I found that security appeared to have been ramped up with cones blocking the peripheral entrances to the main parking lot and people stationed at the only accessible entrance. There were also security people at the front of the church with walkie-talkies and someone from the Sheriff department making rounds. I generally try to arrive either much earlier than the service begins or in between services when parking attendants aren’t present. That gives the opportunity to get set up without a potential conflict from someone telling me I can’t be there. And I always use the sidewalk which is public property. However, the layout of this particular campus made it difficult for me to station myself in the best place to be seen by people arriving and leaving the church without potentially being considered as blocking the entrance. So I wasn’t at the best location. However, some seed was sown. One of the people stationed at the front did give me a “thumbs up” and shook my hand. Again, what fruit is born from my efforts is beyond my pay grade . My goal is to do whatever God requires of me and leave the results up to Him!
7/7/24
Crossing Church - Kernersville, NC
God works in mysterious ways! This medium-sized church was built relatively recently and it’s on an isolated plot of land visible from I-40. The entrance winds a good ways down from the main road and that’s where I needed to be. So I had to park at Cracker Barrel and carry my sign down the sidewalk about a block to get there. About 15 minutes after I set up, a black SUV pulled up and the gentleman inside rolled down the window and asked what I was doing there. I replied that if he gave me a minute or so, I’d try to explain. He replied that he loved to hear it and got out. He was a local police officer in uniform and armed and I gave him the “Cliff Notes’ version. But we wound up talking for about 30 minutes while people drove by and waved to the officer. Our conversation varied widely but he was a nice guy and I enjoyed speaking with him. At one point, he asked me why I had come to this particular church on this particular day. I said I just felt that this was where God wanted me today. And he informed me that the pastor was teaching on the book of Revelation today and he had noticed that my t-shirt displayed a verse from Revelation. In the course of our conversation, I also explained to him these were my people…my brothers and sisters in Christ…people I’d be spending eternity with. And as my people, I felt a responsibility to hold them accountable. He said that they try to avoid politics at their church. And I said that I really don’t see this as a political issue, but a theological one. That without the church’s support of Trump, that he’d be just another billionaire with a God complex and he never would have been President. And that Christian’s support of Trump was bringing dishonor to the name of Christ and damage to the credibility of the faith. He asked me where I planned to go next and I told him I didn’t know…we’ll see where God wants me. He expressed concern for my safety several times. To which I replied that if I was doing what God wanted me to do, He’d watch over me. And if this was just me, then I guess I was on my own. When I told him where I work and what we do, he showed me a cable that they used to control stop lights. And he was interested in getting a few more of them. So the company where I work may get some business out of our encounter! When I got ready to go, he offered me and my sign a ride to my car! As I said, God works in mysterious ways!
6/23/24
Lawndale Baptist Church - Greensboro, NC
Wow! Either the volume’s getting turned up out there or God is guiding me to progressively more entrenched Trump territory. As soon as I got set up today an older couple pulled up and asked me angrily “what does that sign say?!” I responded that it was pretty self-explanatory but that perhaps I had made the letters too small. Then I explained “but what it says is that it’s as plain as the nose on our faces that Trump is the opposite of all that Jesus is…” At that point he interrupted and said “so’s Biden!” I replied that “I realize you believe that but…” and then his wife said “you can’t have that (the sign) out there. You need to take that down!” I responded, “maam, actually it’s a public sidewalk and that’s where I’ll be.” “But you can’t be in front of a church!” “But this is where the message needs to be heard.” The husband then asked “do you believe in killing babies?” I started saying “no, but…” and he interrupted yet again saying “Biden does! He’s the king of all that!” At that point I said, “well, you have to choose who you believe is more of an antichrist.” At that he drove off angrily. I wish I had phrased that better…
Then a little old lady came up and politely asked “so, are you for him or against him?” “Trump?” “Yes.” “I’m against him, maam.” “Do you have permission to be here?” “No, maam, but it’s a public sidewalk. And this is where the word needs to be heard.” “Ok, alright then.” “God bless!”
But there was a steady stream of cars going into this large church and they had to slow down to go in where they couldn't help but read the sign. I did get a couple of “beeps” and one couple gave me a “thumbs up.” Much seed was sown in the heat and now the fruit is up to God!
6/9/24
Life Community Church - Jamestown, NC
Well, I was certainly at the right place today! I had many people who felt the need to express their support of Trump in response to my sign. Some laughed hysterically, some hooted and yelled “Trump…Trump,” or “Trump 2024,” etc. One even rolled down his window and proclaimed enigmatically “we are all the opposite of Jesus” (apparently arguing the moral equivalency of all people so there would be no difference between JFK and Hitler so “VOTE TRUMP!”). However, a few people did smile and wave. At one point, the head of security came over with one of his associates to investigate the situation. But he was courteous and we spoke briefly and he told me to let him know if any of their people gave me any trouble. A productive day!
5/26/24
Cathedral of His Glory - Greensboro, NC
Weather and sickness knocked me out for the past month. But it was a beautiful day today so I got a tan while standing out sweating in front of the church! It appears that a lot of people were out of town this Memorial Day weekend. So only a few seeds were sown. Some people made u-turns to read the sign. One almost got rear-ended. A few waved or said “amen, brother!” One woman who was out walking while talking on the phone stopped and read the sign out loud to her phone mate asking what they thought of it. She then gave me a smile and a thumbs up and said “we support Trump” and moved on.
4/28/24
Definition Church / The Worship Place - Greensboro, NC
The weather kept me from my appointed rounds last Sunday. But this Sunday was a twofer! Two churches at the same location (across the street from one another). A lot of seed was sown as people slowed down or waited to enter or exit the parking lot. The feedback was mostly positive with a few beeps, waves, photos, and one “amen”! However, towards the end, a gentleman named Jason came up and introduced himself and we made small talk. And then he said “ this is obviously something you feel strongly about.” So I tried to explain why I was there and what I was trying to do. At one point, I said “this is crazy, right? Standing in front of a church with a sign….when the truth is so obvious.” About that time, another gentleman came up and introduced himself as one of the pastors (Mike). And he politely asked “would it be OK if I asked you to not do this?” I replied “I understand. I can’t imagine any pastor approving of someone standing in front of their church with a sign. I was a pastor. I get it.” But I knew that I was standing on a public sidewalk simply exercising my First Amendment right of free speech. Not that I was actually speaking to anyone…simply standing there with a sign. But I told him that it was about time for me to go and if he would give me another 10 minutes I’d be gone. He reluctantly said “well…but in the future” and I said “I won’t be coming back” and that seemed to satisfy him. We shook hands and that was that. I prayed for them and everyone who saw the sign on my way home. My goal isn’t to incessantly nag any single church but to plant seeds one time at various churches that lean towards Trump and let God take care of what bears fruit. I expect that the greater the fruit, the greater the resistance. But I think it was a good day!
4/7/24 - Center City Church - Greensboro, NC
A beautiful day! Had a couple of honks and waves. A couple of people invited me to come inside and join them in worship. One even suggested taking my sign and spinning it (I I told him I’m not that coordinated)!
3/24/24 - Mercy Hill Church (Highpoint, NC) & First National Bank Field Easter Egg Hunt (Greensboro, NC)
Palm Sunday…the day where Jesus wept over His people over their unwillingness to accept what He was saying to them. The following day, He cleansed the temple with a whip overturning their tables and chasing out those who had turned what should be a house of prayer into a “den of thieves.” An appropriate day for spreading the message of how the church has dishonored the name of Christ by making a Faustian bargain with someone antithetical to all that Jesus is. In the chilly morning air I made a stand at a church in High Point. This afternoon, there was a huge Easter Egg hunt at First National Bank field (where the Greensboro Grasshoppers play) with thousands attending from multiple churches. People were lined up for blocks to get in. Much seed was sown…the watering and the growth is up to God.
3/10/24 - Westover Church - Greensboro, NC
I set up my sign on the sidewalk out front so that those entering and leaving in their vehicles could see it. I wasn’t shouting or waving or confronting people but simply nodding to people as they looked my way. No one confronted me (not even the police officer directing traffic). And I did have several people give me a “thumbs up” and a few took photos.