County-sponsored July 4th event orders Pastor out of public park
Pastor Dale Morgan
*County-sponsored July 4th event orders Pastor out of public park*
Posted: July 7, 2007
Maryland News
A Maryland church pastor attending a July 4th community band concert and
fireworks in a city park to honor veterans is reporting he was told by
officials to leave, because he was handing out Gospel tracts.
Dennis L. Watson, an associate minister at Pleasant View Baptist Church,
initially revealed his experience at the publicly funded festival in
North East, Md., on a website for a men's group, called Men of Valor.
He called it a "slap in the face" to the veterans whose heroics were
being honored at the "Salute to Cecil County Veterans" because of the
fervent belief of those who founded the United States that "We have no
king but King Jesus."
"The reason that I mention this is because as I took the opportunity to
pass out tracts at the event I was asked to stop because a public park
that the taxpayers of Cecil County [paid for] and for which our soldiers
have died was considered rented property and not a public venue for that
night," he wrote.
Cecil County manager Alfred Wein said that it was a separate group that
obtained permission to use the city park, and therefore it was a private
event. However, when told that the county had allocated $2,500 from its
tax budget for the event, he said he would have to check.
City officials in North East referred to a mail box set up for the
committee that ran the event, and telephone calls to Carol England,
identified by the city as the director of the event, went unreturned.
Watson said that he had gone to the event with family and friends and it
was a wonderful tribute to veterans. He said he was handing out a
variety of tracts, including "million-dollar bills" as well as those
saying "ticket" to heaven.
"I was asking [people] if they wanted them or not. Some would say yes,
and thank you, and some would say no."
Then unidentified officials for the city approached him and told him to
leave.
"So I went outside the gate, then passed out some more tracts, but they
told me, 'You're still on private property because of the event, go out
there to the street,' which is what I did," he said.
It was the first year he had gone to the July 4th celebration. "When you
get thousands of people together, it's a great opportunity to pass out
tracts," he said.
After all, the Bible's "Great Commission," instructs Christians to go
out into the world and preach the Gospel, he noted. "I've a great burden
to reach people who are without Christ," he said.
Watson said in the United States it has gotten to the point that
Christians are criticized for "hate," even if they do not speak against
any particular issue, such as homosexuality.
"All I ask [people] to do is examine themselves in light of God's test
of the Ten Commandments," he said.
Watson said that the city officials accused him of "soliciting." "They
said there was a rule that said no soliciting," he said.
But the tracts weren't seeking donations, or support, or membership, and
in fact didn't even have his church's name, he said.
"The fireworks were great, the bands played well and our veterans alive
and gone were treated with respect and honored," he said. "Some of the
veterans that I spoke to were upset about the freedom of speech/religion
issue and said that they would bring it up at a veterans meeting coming
up because they fought and died for these freedoms too.
"Sadly theses freedoms are becoming more and more silenced in our
country. Some of the very issues that started this country are now being
considered 'hate crimes' by some. I lost a cousin in Iraq when the war
started and though my aunt was upset about the war and our president,
she stated that her son believed in what he was defending and the
freedoms of … this country," he said.
Michael Marcavage of Repent America also sent his support.
"I appreciate and am encouraged by the work you are doing," he wrote to
Watson, adding that would offer whatever other support he could.
Marcavage is no stranger to such situations. He was one of the
"Philadelphia Five" whose freedom of speech was violated when they were
arrested while open air street preaching at an event on the city's
public streets several years ago.
Chad L. Marshall, a veteran, said that he was disturbed by the course of
events.
"I am outraged that both freedom of speech (in passing out and speaking
to people about Christ) and freedom of religion (to follow the Great
Commission) was so blatantly disregarded on a day set aside to
acknowledge the sacrifices made in birthing these very freedoms and this
great nation," he said.
Gospel tracts, including those that look like million-dollar bills,
being confiscated or censored.
But those situations generally have been because of the tract's
resemblance – albeit distant – to official currency. (There is no real
million-dollar bill in circulation).