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Church
Pickets "First Baptist Church" in Davis | February 11th,
2007
Gay Activist Freddie Oakley Discovered Open Member
of FBC in Davis
After Yolo County Clerk/Recorder, Freddie
Oakley, a professing "Evangelical Christian", publicly stated
her intention to issue pro-gay "Certificates of Inequality"
to same-sex couples on Valentines Day, Church of the Divide contacted
Oakley's church, "First Baptist Church" in Davis. (view
full news story) When pastor Glen Snyder finally returned Church of
the Divide's calls and emails
6 days later on Friday the 9th, he said that he hoped Freddie Oakley would
keep coming to his church and that she would be "welcome" there
- even without her repentance, contrary to the Scripture's command (1
Corinthians 5:13). "Because Oakley's pastor would not excercise biblical
church discipline on this open, sinning woman, we decided to picket his
church and call him, as well as Oakley, to repent of their sin,"
said Dick Otterstad, an Outreach Coordinator for Church of the Divide.
(Read
the full letter sent to "First Baptist Church").
Upon arrival, Church of the Divide was met
with a hostile crowd of "First Baptist Church" (FBC) personel,
and three (3) Yolo County Sheriff's vehicles were already on scene, apparently
called in by the FBC leadership.
The pastor and elders refused to speak with Church of the Divide said
member Luke Otterstad, "I was banned from stepping on FBC property
and my repeated requests to speak with leadership from FBC were completely
ignored." "Not very 'welcoming' if you ask me," he added.
"I guess only Freddie Oakley gets welcomed here - Bible-believing
Christians apparently are not." 
At
one point Otterstad put down a sign and asked if he would be able to attend
the service - he was immediately told to leave "church 
property"
by a FBC body guard. Although Otterstad complied with the order, he asked
"Would Jesus do that?" (click
here to watch video taken by Church of the Divide of the conversation
with the bodyguard and church member).
________________
___FBC body guard at main entrance
Reporters from FOX40 and InformationGospel.net
showed up on the scene to report on the protest, but 
were
both restricted by FBC body guards from speaking with the pastor 
or
even listening to the service.
Church of the Divide members held signs and
banners bearing the messages: "Pastor Welcomes Gay Activist Freddie
Oakley", "God's Word Says: Remove the evil person (Freddie)
from among you. - 1 Cor. 5:13", "I 
have
this against you - "You tolerate that woman Jezebel (Freddie)",
"Woe those who call good evil and evil good - Isaiah 5:20",
"Homosexuality is Sin", "What fellowship hath light with
darkness - 2 Cor. 6:14" and more.
Around 12:00pm, the "Unitarian Universalist Church"
down the street marched down the sidewalk with around 100
members of their congregation singing "This little light of mine"
and "stand on the side of love", apparently in protest of Church
of the Divide's stance on sodomy and Freddie Oakley. They marched loudly
by the church 4-5 times, as members of Church of the Divide preached to
them: "True love abhors evil" said Luke Otterstad, "Love
does not rejoice in lawlessness - but rejoices in truth," quoting
a verse in 1 Corinthians 13. After deciding that their point was made,
the Unitarian Universalist's returned to their congregation,
taking up the whole sidewalk for a few hundred feet. Their protest was
organized by an unidentified young man who had seen Church of the Divide's
demonstration around 11:00am. By noon, the Unitarians had already organized
a march with what appeared to be most of their congregation. (video of
protest and Unitarian march currently available on request - will be uploaded
soon to website as well)
Watch exclusive videos of Church of the Divide picketing First Baptist Church in Davis:
Video taken on February 11th:
Download
the video of the protest(right click to 'save
as' - file size: 16mb)
Video taken on February 18th:
First
Baptist Church Picket -Part 2 (right click to
'save as' - file size 9.6mb)
Other Photos: (Email us if you need a higher quality photo: Media@churchofthedivide.org)
A Church of the Divide member holds signs in front of FBC while Unitarians
march in opposition
(above) A Unitarian Universalist counter-demonstrator holds a shirt reading
"Stand on the side of love"
Email us: Contact@ChurchoftheDivide.org | Write us: 685 Placerville Dr.,
Placerville, Ca 95667