To the editor:
Re: "Church's beliefs worse than loss of theatre space," May 31.
Allen Garr is concerned about "the explosive growth of a conservative evangelical Christian sect . . . which finds its roots south of the border and gives comfort to the most conservative of Republican politicians."
Evangelicalism is neither new nor sectarian. "British Columbia ... is an intensely secular province, yet evangelical Protestantism has come to flourish during the 20th century" (Robert Burkinshaw: Pilgrims in Lotus Land: Conservative Protestantism in British Columbia 1917 -1981).
The local "brand" of evangelicalism owes more to Britain than the States. And while evangelical Christianity is growing explosively in Africa, Latin America and Asia, it is just holding its own in Canada.
Few evangelicals in Vancouver are comfortable with the Republican Right.
Garr says evangelicals have developed "a practice called 'church planting,' an exercise in proselytizing that has relied on a symbiotic relationship with cultural venues and a number of community centres; all of which welcome the funds they gain from renting out their space."
Sounds ominous: insidious foreign sectarians prey on naive, cash-strapped locals. Church planting has been going on for 2000 years; like everyone else, churches have to be creative in Vancouver's real estate market.
Proselytizing? A pejorative and misleading word; there is nothing wrong with sharing the good news that God loves us.
Despite appearing to be "hipsters," Garr notes, Westsiders hear messages that are "anything but hip and hardly consistent with the community values many of us share." Since when should a group be expected to share all community values before being welcome to purchase buildings or use public facilities?
Vancouver has much to gain from Westside Church members, who work with the homeless in their neighbourhood and are good citizens.
Flyn Ritchie, Vancouver
