An American Family Association (AFA) nationwide church tour designed to "counter the growing proliferation of prohomosexual philosophy in every area of our culture" began by attracting more homosexuals than conservative church members.
Buddy Smith, associate director of the Tupelo, Mississippi-based organization, expressed disappointment at the small turnout on the first stop of the Hope '97 tour. A March 7 rally at Palmcroft Baptist Church in Phoenix drew about 70 people, while seminars the following day drew only 35.
Protesters gathered outside the church for both events. Keynote speaker Michael Johnson, president of Kerusso Ministries in Newport News, Virginia, invited them inside. About 35 of 60 protesters accepted, and several spoke with him after the talk. Johnson is a former homosexual who has AIDS.
AFA has scheduled a June 6 rally in Orlando, Florida, to coincide with "Gay Day" at Disney World. The 15-city tour ends in October.
Copyright © 1997 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
Our digital archives are a work in progress. Let us know if corrections need to be made.
Annual & Monthly subscriptions available.
- Print & Digital Issues of CT magazine
- Complete access to every article on ChristianityToday.com
- Unlimited access to 65+ years of CT’s online archives
- Member-only special issues
- Learn more
More from this Issue
Read These Next
- TrendingAmerican Christians Should Stand with Israel under AttackWhile we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
- From the MagazineThe Evil Ideas Behind October 7The Hamas attacks in Israel have a grotesque ideological history and deserve unflinching moral judgment.Português
- Editor's PickA Theologian’s Vision of ‘Peasant’ Politics Is Surprisingly Lordly in ScopeEphraim Radner’s “narrow” concern for protecting the mundane goods of earthly life isn’t so narrow after all.