Church holds services in the PAC
Protesters contest use of AISD facility by religious group that rejects gay marriage
Protesters stand outside the Mueller PAC on Sunday, Sept. 2 during Celebration Church’s service brandishing signs and flags to protest the use of AISD facilities by the Celebration Church. Photo by Jazzabelle Davishines.
October 15, 2018
The AISD Performing Arts Center, a community center for district schools to showcase their fine arts performances, is an unlikely location to find hordes of shouting protesters surrounded by police. On recent Sunday mornings, however, the crowds are hard to miss.
On Aug. 26, the Celebration Church launched its new location at the AISD Performing Arts Center. The PAC is owned by the Austin Independent School District and is now being rented out weekly to an organization that has sparked criticism from many Austin residents.
Though Celebration Church describes itself on its website as welcoming of “all people regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, religion or political beliefs,” many people have taken issue with church’s position that marriage is only for a union between a man and a woman and that transgender and same-sex marriages are sins.
I feel it is in direct conflict with the policies of AISD and No Place For Hate to rent this space to this organization.
— Pride Interfaith Partnership coordinator Joy Butler
At their first service since opening the Mueller location, a group of shouting protesters stood outside the PAC for the entire service in order to draw attention to AISD associating with an institution that restricts marriage to heterosexual couples.
“This organization has known homophobic and transphobic policies,” Pride Interfaith Partnership coordinator Joy Butler said. “They state their beliefs clearly, comparing homosexuality to bestiality and pedophilia.”
The service inside, however, continued on despite the protests outside. Contrary to the controversial views published on their website, celebration.church, Celebration Church’s Sunday service did not address the claims of intolerance, but instead focused on the members’ commitment to their relationship with God. A live band performed several Christian rock songs all centered around a love of Christ and his teachings. This musical performance was followed by a sermon from the Mueller campus pastor, Riis Lewis. Throughout the sermon, the focus remained on a love of God and acceptance of others.
“This is not a church where you have to be afraid of showing your doubt,” Lewis said. “This is a safe space.”
Executive pastor Jim Kuykendall insisted that in spite of what those opposing the church may think, their institution is not a hateful one.
“Celebration Church promotes acceptance,” Kuykendall said. “We clearly state that on our website.”
Despite the message being preached throughout the service, the protesters held their ground. Many people speaking out against Celebration Church were concerned about the conflict they see between AISD’s No Place For Hate campaign and the beliefs of the church.
“I feel it is in direct conflict with the policies of AISD and No Place For Hate to rent this space to this organization,” said Butler. “My daughter graduated from AISD and had a great experience and felt safe, but I’m here for the other kids.”
The school district, however, insists that the views of Celebration Church should not be used as a reason against their use of the space.
“The use of district properties by outside organizations does not create an endorsement of, or an association of, that organization with the district,” Superintendent Paul Cruz said in an Aug. 25 press release. “Funds collected from the Performing Arts Center rental will be dedicated to our district-wide efforts to ensure we support an inclusive, welcoming environment for all students and staff including our LGBTQ students and staff.”
People want to speak their mind, and they are certainly free to do that. And we are free to believe what we believe.
— Celebration Church’s Executive Pastor Jim Kuykendall
There are other AISD schools that give space to churches on Sundays for their services, such as the North Village Church at Pillow Elementary or Gateway Church at McCallum. The controversy surrounding Celebration is not regarding the separation of religion and AISD buildings, but the conflation of AISD buildings with what many consider to be intolerant beliefs.
“I was at my church service earlier this morning; I am a Christian,” Butler said. “There is a disagreement in theology over what scripture means, but it comes down to following Jesus’ message to love all.”
Both parties are adamant about their convictions and seemingly unwilling to concede. Both believe in a message of acceptance, but neither can seem to accept each other.
“People want to speak their mind, and they are certainly free to do that,” Kuykendall said. “And we are free to believe what we believe.”
![With the AISD rank and GPA discrepancies, some students had significant changes to their stats. College and career counselor Camille Nix worked with students to appeal their college decisions if they got rejected from schools depending on their previous stats before getting updated. Students worked with Nix to update schools on their new stats in order to fully get their appropriate decisions. “Those who already were accepted [won’t be affected], but it could factor in if a student appeals their initial decision,” Principal Andy Baxa said.](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/53674616658_18d367e00f_o-600x338.jpg)
Anna Q Nguyen • Feb 23, 2019 at 6:05 pm
Jim Kuykendall said. “And we are free to believe what we believe.” I cannot agree more. I will defend to my last breath Kuykendall’s right to have their own belief. As I would the Ku Klux Klan or the Aryan Nation or the Patriot Front. However, their rights stop at the edge of life of LGBTQiA+ people, especially LGBTQiA+ students in AISD. The rate of suicide attempts among trans and non-binary adolescents is twice that of cisgender female adolescents and almost four times that of cisgender male adolescents (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/4/e20174218).
The life trans and NB young people are difficult enough without “churches” such as Kuykendall’s Celebration Church telling them that “any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God” (https://celebration.church/download/marriage-sexuality-policy.pdf). “Churches” such as the Celebration Church, and indeed any religious worship events, have no places in government and tax payer funded facilities and institutions.
The Celebration Church is free to believe in their brand of “Christianity”. Anywhere else. When when they hold their services in AISD facilities, they, and the AISD, infringe on my First Amendment rights to not subscribe to any religious beliefs .