Press Release Summary: Sharing the Message of God's Grace and Love for the Gay Community
Press Release Body: RALEIGH, N.C. (July 12, 2008)-St. John's Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Raleigh, a church for all people founded on the "whosoever" principal in 1976, announces today that Jay Bakker; son of PTL's Jim Bakker and the late Tammy Faye Bakker-Messner, star of Sundance Channel's "One Punk Under God" and founder of Revolution Church, will be participating in NC Pride activities September 26 -28, in both Durham and Raleigh.
Bakker will be participating in the Pride festival and parade at Duke University's East Campus in Durham, NC, Saturday, September 27. He will then be the honored guest at an open-to-the-public reception held at The View, part of the Legends Night Club complex located on the corner of Hargett and Harrington streets in Raleigh, NC, Saturday evening from 6-7 p.m. Bakker will finish out the weekend by preaching St. John's MCC Sunday Services, September 28. The 11 a.m. service will be held in Broughton High School's Auditorium located at the corner of Peace and St. Mary's Streets in Raleigh, N.C. The 7 p.m. service will be held in St. John's MCC's sanctuary located at 805 Glenwood avenue in Raleigh.
"Having grown up in Charlotte, I was excited to receive the invitation to participate in the Pride activities of my home state," says Bakker. "Although I have worked in cooperation with MCCs across the country sharing the Gospel of grace, this is the first opportunity I have had to work with the people at St. John's MCC."
After witnessing firsthand the excommunicative treatment his family received from the church, Bakker wanted nothing to do with God. So he began a new life filled with substances easily abused and nonstop partying created to mask the pain and suffering caused by this surreal rejection. Eventually, Bakker was able to conquer his demons and made a personal decision to find out who God really was. What he discovered floored him - God wasn't some judgmental, condemning deity sitting on a throne waving an angry fist in the direction of sinners - rather, God was an understanding God offering a gift of love and grace with no strings attached. For the first time Bakker wasn't being driven to Christ out of fear; he was being drawn to Christ through love.
"Jay's witness and ministry has a way of opening conversations with many people whose experience with church has been a less-than-positive reflection of God and God's love," says Rev. Belva Y. Boone, Senior Pastor of St. John's MCC. "As a longstanding active participant in the North Carolina gay community, St. John's is constantly seeking new ways to share God's love for all people with those who have been subjected to Bible abuse."
To receive printer ready PDF versions of Bakker's Bio, bulletin inserts, promotional posters and handouts e-mail mike@articulon.com.
About St John's MCC: St. John\'s Metropolitan Community Church began as a small group of individuals who came together on the last Sunday in February, 1976, to study the Gospel of John. Facilitated by Southeastern Baptist Seminary Graduate, Rev. Willie White and his partner Robert Pace by June of 1976, they voted to affiliate with the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Churches. In July of 2001, St. John\'s called The Rev. Belva Y. Boone to serve as its fourth Pastor. Committed to \"find them, bring them in, grow them up and send them out,\" Rev. Boone is leading St. John\'s into a new vision for ministry in, with and among God\'s people. St. John\'s MCC is a Christian church where all services and activities are open to all people, regardless of religious affiliation, background, sexual orientation or beliefs. For more information visit www.stjohnsmcc.org, or call (919) 834-2611.
About Jay Bakker: Son of PTL Club founders, Jim Bakker and the late Tammy Faye Bakker-Messner, Jay grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1994, Bakker along with Kelli Miller and Mike Walls, started the first Revolution Church in Phoenix, AZ. Revolution seeks to meet the needs of a whole subculture of people ignored and even blatantly rejected by the established church. Revolution services have featured bands, DJ\'s, art exhibits, a coffeehouse and guest speakers, many times bringing in both local and regional touring acts, trying to cater to the interests of the community around them. Jay has spoken at numerous festivals and churches as well as appeared both on television ("One Punk Under God", "Larry King Live," "20/20," "Good Morning America") and in print (Rolling Stone, NY Times, Time, FHM, Charisma, Relevant). For more information visit www.revolutionnyc.com or call (704) 684-0777.
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