A group of about 100 Baptists from 10 to 15 local churches plan to stand at four intersections in town to express their opinion to those who will be attending the Budbreak Wine Festival on Saturday.
Tim Crotts, pastor of Beartrail Baptist Church, is heading up the group.
“We are taking an opportunity to proclaim Christ. We will be holding signs and banners so people driving in and out from the event can see our message — Jesus saves,” Crotts said.
Crotts said the gathering will be divided into four groups that will stand on the corners at Main and Pine streets, Main and Independence, Pine and Renfro streets and at Independence Boulevard and Renfro Street.
Crotts said drinking wine is “not a Christian thing to do.”
He said that his group wasn’t aware of the public forum held by city commissioners to approve the wine festival. When his group learned of the festival, he said, they decided to let their “opinion be known concerning the situation.”
Crotts said those coming to express their opinion Saturday also have done so at events such as the Hillsville Flea Market and Gun Show in Hillsville, Va., and the Autumn Leaves Festival in Mount Airy.
Crotts said pastors who attend the Blue Ridge Baptist Camp meeting have been discussing coming to “Proclaim Jesus” at the wine festival for some time. He said all of those coming Saturday are of the Baptist faith.
“As Bible believers we are certainly against the consumption of alcohol or the use of alcohol an any form. Our message is that everyone has the right to do what they want to do. They have a right to drink if that is what they choose. So we have the right to proclaim Christ if we choose. So that is what we are going to do,” Crotts said.
Bob Meinecke, president of the Mount Airy Rotary Club, which is co-sponsoring the event, said he was apprised by Chief Dale Watson of the Mount Airy Police Department that a group had asked for a permit.
“Certainly this is a free speech country and we have no objection to people expressing their views. They have done so in letters to the editor and they are welcome to do that. The police department has indicated that they cannot disrupt the flow of traffic. They cannot enter the event with any signs. They would have to keep their objections to the outside of the event. With that said, they are welcome to do so,” Meinecke said.
Meinecke said it is important to note that the vendors have to abide by state law and cannot serve anyone who appears to be intoxicated.
“We are discouraging excess. Any unruly people will be asked to leave the event. This is a sanctioned, well-controlled event and we will have police presence at all of the entrances to take care of any inappropriate activity,” Meinecke said.
Captain Alan Freeman with the Mount Airy Police Department said he wouldn’t call what Crotts and church members will be doing on Saturday “a protest” but rather “a gathering.” He said they have obtained a permit for meeting and gathering.
“They will be standing on some of the corners surrounding the downtown area, not in the Budbreak area. They will just be standing there not interfering with traffic,” Freeman said. “He doesn’t want to cause any problems. They just want to voice their opinion in a peaceful manner.”
Contact Mondee Tilley at mtilley@mtairynews.com or at 719-1930.
You can't understand why someone wants to stand on the street and proclaim Christ, or why that person forsakes everything in the world in order to live to please God. It is simple, Jesus loves you and He shed His blood to save you from sin. It used to seem like foolishness to me, too... I still remember. I pray God will allow you to know the love of Jesus and see how irresistable He is. I thank God for every Preacher that is willing to go and tell. KEEP PREACHING! JESUS SAVES!
UHhh Pastor Crotts.. Jesus turned water to wine. Do we think he was doing it as a test to see who'd drink? Please tell us what to think.
Do you have a Kool Aid backup plan?
Seriously, are you out of your mind?
Have a nice day Pastor.
I believe that it should be understood that it was not an effort on the part of the church to "express their opinion" at the flea market or other events...it is an effort to SPREAD THE GOSPEL AND OFFER THE HOPE OF SALVATION AVAILABLE IN THE LIFE, DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. That is proclaimation-- the proclaimation of the gospel that Pastor Tim Crotts was referring to. The article implies that there has been some "protest" at the gun show or other events, which is not at all true.
Furthermore, salvation from the only begotten Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, will deliver freedom from the bondage of alcohol, and other sins. The world has a SIN problem. They have rejected the blood of Jesus...that is the SIN that sends people to Hell. All the other SINS are minor compared to the rejection of God's precious Son. Proclaiming the gospel is the business that the Father expects us to be about. The world needs to hear the truth. The truth is that drunkenness is ungodly and leads to more and more sorrow.
The alcohol isn't the problem, the abuse of alcohol is.
Then, Mr. Crotts could re-read 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 and note that Christ had his disciples drink WINE!
Ignorance working on a weak mind produces every kind of mischief.
Moreover, this could be a significant economic boon to an area that is long over due for some good news. It is a shame that ignorance and intolerance will likely drive away the means for future economic prosperity.