Since 1990, Laurie has led “Harvest Crusades” in large venues across the country. Will the SBC change Harvest? Will Harvest change the SBC? Will nothing change? Is this a good fit? The questions whirling around this new relationship touch on the conservative positions of both bodies, but also on the differences, including Harvest’s historical ties to the Charismatic Movement. The chatter was not so much about the annual meeting, but instead about the entrance into the SBC family of one of the nation’s largest churches, Harvest Christian Fellowship of Riverside, Calif., led by its very popular pastor, Greg Laurie.
The above comes from a June 16 email from the Pacific Justice Institute.Soon after the close of the 2017 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix, various voices were signaling either concern or delight. The court further believed a city is justified in promoting a “street of fun” that excludes churches at the same time it allows even larger concert and entertainment venues…. The court determined that churches generate limited interest, do not draw tourists, and therefore detract from the city’s goals of vibrancy. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a surprising decision siding with the city. Magistrate Judge Susan Van Keulen of the U.S. Just a few feet away the city permitted theaters and live entertainment venues to operate without similar restrictions…. The church contacted Pacific Justice Institute, which recognized the preferential treatment the city was giving secular assembly uses at the same time it was blocking the church. It demanded sharp restrictions on the building’s use such as worship and assemblies only on the second floor, and dedication of retail space on the ground floor to an extent that proved unworkable for the church. With property at a premium in Northern California, the church seized the opportunity and bought the building in early 2018.īut the city had a different vision for Main Street. In 2017, it seemed the church’s prayers were answered when a larger building just across the street went up for sale. In the meantime, the church has had to limit or even discontinue some ministries because of the space limitations. Their growing congregation prompted leaders to recognize several years ago that the church needed a larger facility. New Harvest Christian Fellowship has rented space along Main Street in Salinas for more than 25 years. A federal court in the San Francisco Bay Area has determined that churches do not contribute to a vibrant and fun atmosphere and therefore may be excluded from Salinas’ downtown area.
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