By Gary D. Harwood
October 29, 2002

CHARLOTTE, NC (AgapePress) - The recent decision by The Charlotte Observer to publish same-sex unions has alerted area churches and Christian businesses that "business as usual" may not meet Christian ethical demands.

Northside Baptist Church in Charlotte has decided to halt all advertising in the Observer. Dr. Dan Burrell, senior pastor, said that he reached the decision unilaterally, thinking it was "an appropriate way of communicating our dissatisfaction with the Observer. We have redirected our advertising monies to other venues."

Burrell says that good stewardship required a change from the status quo.

"We obviously want to be able to communicate our message, opportunities and programs, but not utilizing a vehicle which has intentionally shown disregard for our concerns," he said. "As all 'customers' we have a choice as to where we will spend our advertising dollars and we feel that at this time, Biblical principles of stewardship encourage us to voice our concerns and values by redirecting those dollars to agencies that do not actively undermine those things which are important to us."

Other area evangelical churches are also responding to the Observer decision.

Associate Pastor Kermit Erickson said Carmel Baptist Church has decided to pull its ads for an upcoming Christmas musical from the Observer. He said that the church has not regularly advertised in the Charlotte-based newspaper in the past.

Like Carmel, Christ Covenant in Matthews does very little newspaper advertising, except for "occasional ads for special events like concerts."

Calvary Church, which for many years ran an across-the-page ad at the bottom of the Observer's Saturday church directory, no longer runs those advertisements. But the decision to stop the ads was based on economics, and predated the new same-sex union policy.

Both Calvary and Christ Covenant say they may still advertise special events in the Observer.

Officials at First Assembly in Concord, who, along with all the above mentioned churches, met with Observer representatives to discuss their dissatisfaction with its decision, say that they will "continue to interact with these churches about all future responses."

In the arena of local Christian schools, Northside Pastor Burrell says that The Greater Charlotte Association of Christian Schools (where Burrell is president) recently redirected $1,000 of advertising as a result of the newspapers same-sex policy.

Chick-fil-A, a name virtually synonymous with the term "Christian business," may soon re-evaluate its advertising policies in connection with the 150 newspapers that now publish homosexual and lesbian "unions."

Jerry Johnston, media relations specialist for the fast-food chain, said he was aware that some newspapers were beginning to print the same-sex unions, but because it is a relatively new phenomenon, no current policy exists.

"We're just going to have to take this under advisement .... we're going to have to think about it ...," Johnston said. "We're going to have to get our folks together and just talk about it and figure out what direction we go."

Johnston, who has now brought this issue up with the Chick-fil-A advertising department, adds, "I can't say we've got a meeting scheduled next week, but it is something we are now aware of ... and something we just need to discuss."

Beth Hobson, manager of the Family Christian Store at McMullen Creek Market says the business has never advertised in the Observer. In times past, when staff has discussed various advertising venues, she said she was told by management that the Observer was one of the most expensive papers in the country to advertise in.

A spokesperson for Christenbury Eye Centers, known locally as a Christian business, said that all its advertising is handled by Miller Media Relations out of the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area. Miller handles a lot of medical advertising, but is not a specifically Christian business.

Gary D. Harwood writes for The Charlotte World, a weekly Christian newspaper in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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