Wasilla Bible Church

The Wasilla Bible Church is a non-denominational, evangelicalcite news|title=McCain Defends Palin's Fitness as Some Alaskans Question It|first=Tony|last=Hopfinger|coauthors=Fireman, Ken|publisher=Bloomberg|date=September 1, 2008|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aJgm2T3qgeZU&refer=home] Christian church in Wasilla, Alaska.

"Newsweek" magazine describes Wasilla as being similar to "thousands of conservative evangelical churches across the country. Its statement of faith says its members believe that the Bible is the 'inspired, inerrant word of God...' The sermons of its ministers steer clear of politics and hot-button social issues and dwell instead on scripture. Its membership is largely conservative."cite news|title=A Visit to Palin’s Church; Scripture and discretion on the program in Wasilla|first=Lisa|last=Miller|coauthors=Coyne, Amanda|work=Newsweek|date=September 2, 2008|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/156679]

"Time" magazine describes Wasilla Bible Church as one of "the largest and most influential" churches in Wasilla, which has a total population of approximately 8,500. [Nathan Thornburgh, Mayor Palin: A Rough Record, http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1837918,00.html]

Pastor Larry Kroon describes the congregation as "socially conservative."KIRK JOHNSON and KIM SEVERSON, 'In Palin’s Life and Politics, Goal to Follow God’s Will', "New York Times", September 5, 2008, [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/us/politics/06church.html?scp=1&sq=Wasilla%20bible%20church&st=cse] ]

Wasilla Bible Church offers ministries devoted to family affairs, including the popular support group for Christian mothers of small children called Mothers of Preschoolers.

Theology and Practice

The Wasilla Bible Church website lists five "Core Commitments" at its website, "The Centrality of Christ, The Authority of Scripture, The Priority of Prayer, Authenticity in our Spiritual Life, [and] Community in our Congregational Life". [ [http://wasillabible.org/statement%20of%20faith.htm WBC Statement of Faith] ]

Wasilla Bible Church advocates a strict and literal interpretation of the Christian Bible, such as favoring creationism over evolution, or advocating love for the homosexual as a person, but viewing homosexuality itself as a sin to be "overcome", as is any other sin. While leading prayers to help gays from practices listed in the Bible as sin, and advocating publicly for preservation of the historic definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, Kroon has been an equally outspoken critic of anti-gay speech and denying gays rights as citizens. [Greta Van Susteren interview with Larry Kroon Gov. Sarah Palin's Current and Past Pastors 'On the Record' (Sep 9, 2008) http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,420093,00.html]

The church has a reserved practice, more consistent with the strict interpretation of one biblical passage, Matthews 6.6, as compared in the media with more extroverted Wasilla churches that also advocate literal interpretation of the Bible. The Times of London reports that “"Mrs. Palin’s new church practices a less extroverted religion than the Wasilla Assembly of God, where members stand up, clap, sing and cry"”. Larry Kroon said, “"We’re more reserved"”. [ Alexi Mostrous, Times of London, September 10, 2008] In sharp contrast with other Wasilla churches, such as Wasilla Assembly of God that preaches strongly against Democrats, Wasilla Bible Church preaches value for all public servants. Kroon has said, “I value all our politicians, [our] public servants. . . . I don't care if it's Obama, Biden, McCain or Palin. I think it's a noble thing to step into that arena.” [“Palin hasn't pushed religious agenda”, George Bryson and Richard Mauer, Miami Herald, 9-14-08 [http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/685648.html] ]

History

The church was founded in 1977. It asked Alaska native Larry Kroon to become pastor in 1978.The church's first building in Wasilla was completed in 1979, with capacity for seating 250 people. A second story was added in 1984, then a larger sanctuary added in 1996. The building was then sold to another church, enabling Wasilla to buy 20 acres in Wasilla.cite news|title=Land deal moves King's Chapel into larger facility|first=Kyle|last=Hopkins|work=Anchorage Daily News|date=October 12, 2005] A new church building was dedicated on October 1, 2006.cite web|url=http://wasillabible.org/faq.htm|publisher=Wasilla Bible Church|title=Frequently Asked Questions] cite news|title=Church constructs new home|first=Kyle|last=Hopkins|work=Anchorage Daily News|date=November 9, 2005] The church hosts up to 1000 parishoners. [“Palin hasn't pushed religious agenda”, George Bryson and Richard Mauer, Miami Herald, 9-14-08 [http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/685648.html] ] The church has strong recruitment practices. In "Caring for the Harvest Force in the New Millennium", authors Tom A.Steffen and Fredrick Douglas Pennoyer describe Wasilla Bible Church as doing a "superb job" of bringing teenagers "to commit to Jesus."cite book|title=Caring for the Harvest Force in the New Millennium|first=Tom A.|last=Steffen|coauthors=Pennoyer, Fredrick Douglas|publisher=William Carey Library|year=2001]

Church Influence

Wasilla Bible Church has been influential in having members achieve high positions of public office, where they promote church teachings in public policy. Notable church members holding public office include Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin and Representative Wes Keller. Two of the three candidates on Palin’s short list to fill an empty representative seat were from Wasilla Bible Church. Keller is one of ten elders of the church. Church teachings include a strict anti-abortion stance, including prohibition in the case of rape or incest, and belief in creationism according to a literal interpretaion of the Bible. Keller has sponsored bills regarding making performing some abortions a felony, and installing filters in libraries to insure no material is “inappropriate”. Keller states he he hopes to see the state mandate that intelligent design be taught alongside evolution. [“Nation Examines Palin's Beliefs”, GEORGE BRYSON and RICHARD MAUER, Anchorage Daily News, September 7, 2008 [http://www.540wfla.com/cc-common/mainheadlines3.html?feed=137841&article=4202700] ]

Media scrutiny and controversy

Following nomination of congregant and Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as candidate for vice-president, Wasilla Bible Church became a focus of the media. Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said that scrutiny is to be expected whenever a surprise vice presidential candidate is selected because the “The surprise guarantees that the other side hasn’t done the research". “When a presidential candidate surprises the country with a relatively unknown choice, then all hell breaks loose,” Sabato said. “It did with Ferraro, it did with Quayle, it’s happening with Palin." Sabato postulates that the goal of the Democrats is to find controversial statements to counteract the criticism Barack Obama faced due to his affiliation with Pastor Jeremiah Wright. [Judson, Berger; Carl Cameron and Dan Springe (2008-09-10). "Political Teams Battle to Define Palin in Alaska", Fox News.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-15] The conservative media watchdog, Culture and Media Institute, went so far as to declare the effort as an "obvious attempt to create a Jeremiah Wright-style scandal". [Brian, Fitzpatrick (2008-09-04). "Pro-gay Journalist: Palin’s Religious Worldview “Controversial”", Culture and Media Institute. Retrieved on 2008-09-15] Others believe that the religious beliefs of Sarah Palin "raise important questions: mainly, what is Palin's faith and how exactly has it influenced her policies?" [Pitney, Nico; Sam Stein (2008-09-02). "Palin's Church May Have Shaped Controversial Worldview", Culture and Media Institute. Retrieved on 2008-09-15]

A "Time" magazine correspondent reported a program insert announcing a program to help gays "overcome" their homosexuality.cite web|title=Mayor Palin: A Rough Record|work=Time Magazine|date=September 2, 2008|first=Nathan|last=Thornburgh|url=http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1837918,00.html?imw=Y] The pastor, Larry Kroon, responded to this article in a FoxNews interview Sept. 9. When Fox reporter Greta Van Susteren asked for comment about inclusion of the announcement, Pastor Kroon replied "When the subject of homosexuality comes up, people that matter to me come to mind. And over the past year, I've had different people in our congregation speak of homosexuals in ways that I did not want to hear our people speak." He went on to say "And I wanted my people, if at all possible, to hear somebody in their tone and their manner because I don't think the church has done a very good job of speaking of this issue in a gracious tone and manner." [Greta Van Susteren interview with Larry Kroon Gov. Sarah Palin's Current and Past Pastors 'On the Record' (Sep 9, 2008) http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,420093,00.html]

The Atlantic Monthly magazine reports that the church sponsored a controversial speaker, David Brickner, who gave a speech in which he implied that a Palestinian terrorist attacks on Jews was God’s judgment on the Jews for failing to convert to Christianity.cite web|title=Her Church Sponsored Jews For Jesus!|url=http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/her-church-spon.html|first=Andrew|last=Sullivan|work=The Daily Dish|date=September 2, 2008|accessdate=2008-09-03] In an interview with NBC, David Brickner responded to this assessment of his guest speech by saying ”That's not what I was saying,” he said. “That's not what I believe. The violence is evidence that sin has marred our human condition and because of sin and non belief, God's judgment rests on all humanity. And that's why God had to send Jesus, the Messiah to deal with the problem of the sin. And actually he became sin, and God judged him.… “I believe that violence is the natural outcome of the human condition, that sin has blinded the whole world to the truth of God in Jesus Christ.”. ["Jews for Jesus Head Defends Speech, by Domenico Montanaro,Sep 9, 2008 http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/09/1368740.aspx] The full transcript and audio recording of the Aug. 17, 2008 speech is located on the Wasilla Bible Church website. [ [http://www.wasillabible.org/sermons.htm church sermons page] ]

Pastor Kroon said that Mr Brickner had a point and that he would invite the “Jews for Jesus” leader back. [Sarah Palin, the pastor and the prophecy: judgment day is not far away, Alexi Mostrous in Wasilla, Alaska, UK Timies Online, 9-10-08 [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4720440.ece]

Notable congregants and guests

* Sarah Palin, Alaskan Governor, and 2008 vice-presidential candidate.
* David Brickner, leader of Jews for Jesus

References

External links

* [http://wasillabible.org/ Official website]