• Latest
Lititz Moravian Church Gives Go-ahead for Pride Festival

Lititz Moravian Church Gives Go-ahead for Pride Festival

April 10, 2023
P.J. Reilly, Baiting Deer, and Tattling on One’s Neighbor

P.J. Reilly, Baiting Deer, and Tattling on One’s Neighbor

May 26, 2023
Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Dodgers Reinvite ‘Trans Nuns’ to Baseball Stadium, Issue Apology

May 26, 2023
Gavin Newsom walks in the 2019 Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco.

Newsom: Target is ‘Selling Out the LGBTQ+ Community to Extremists’

May 26, 2023
Podcast – Hunting and Biblical Law

Podcast – Hunting and Biblical Law

May 26, 2023
Ron DeSantis Launches 2024 Presidential Bid Via Twitter

Ron DeSantis Launches 2024 Presidential Bid Via Twitter

May 25, 2023
Podcast – Lancaster City to Study ‘Home Rule’

Podcast – Lancaster City to Study ‘Home Rule’

May 25, 2023
The Confiscation

The Confiscation

May 24, 2023
Stock image of gun wall rack with rifles and pistol.

Two Gun Control Bills Pass Pennsylvania House

May 23, 2023
Countless Veterans Struggle With Addiction

Countless Veterans Struggle With Addiction

May 23, 2023
CRT in Camp Hill Schools

CRT in Camp Hill Schools

May 23, 2023
Rep. Roy: ‘What’s Next, Rainbow Uniforms?’

Rep. Roy: ‘What’s Next, Rainbow Uniforms?’

May 22, 2023
Aerial view of downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Lancaster City Residents Approve Home Rule Study

May 17, 2023
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Sunday, May 28, 2023
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Lancaster Patriot
No Result
View All Result
  • Lancaster News
  • Perspectives
  • Obituaries
  • Events
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lancaster News
  • Perspectives
  • Obituaries
  • Events
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
The Lancaster Patriot
No Result
View All Result
Home Lancaster News

Lititz Moravian Church Gives Go-ahead for Pride Festival

by Michael Yoder
April 10, 2023
in Lancaster News
7
Lititz Moravian Church Gives Go-ahead for Pride Festival

The Lititz Moravian Church on Main Street. (Michael Yoder/The Lancaster Patriot)

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Lititz Moravian Congregation apologized to Lititz Chooses Love and the local community in a statement issued April 7 for its efforts in attempting to stop the activist group from hosting its Pride event in Lititz Springs Park in June.

In the statement attributed to the church’s joint Board of Elders and Board of Trustees, the congregation said its decision made at the end of February to deny a permit to Lititz Chooses Love to use the park for its festival after the Lititz Springs Park Board had approved the event “hurt our family members of the LGBTQIA+ community, the members and friends of our congregation, and the larger Lititz community.”

Lititz Springs Park, which is owned by the Lititz Moravian Congregation, was originally maintained by the church. However, in 1956, the management of the park was handed over to an independent board of trustees.

The park board overrode the church’s decision to deny the festival permit during its March 14 meeting, approved a motion to present Lititz Chooses Love with a contract “for use of the entirety of Lititz Springs Park” for the event scheduled for June 17, 2023.

The church said it was retracting its March 10 statement it initially released because of “inattentive communication breakdowns” that included giving “undeserved credence to information and accusations” made about the 2022 Lititz Pride Festival in the park. In its original statement, the church said Lititz Chooses Love “failed in its stewardship of the Park on several fronts” during the June 19, 2022 pride festival, including the inclusion of political statements by speakers and a drag queen performance.

“As leaders of this historic church, we confess that we have hurt many people in the greater Lititz community,” the church said in its April 7 statement. “We acknowledge that our actions have caused many to mistrust our commitment to welcoming all. We humbly ask that you forgive us, receive our requests for conversation, and allow us to serve you as the hands and feet of Christ.”

Lititz Chooses Love responded on social media to the church’s statement within hours of its posting, thanking the congregation “for acknowledging the harm that was done and retracting their original statement. We look forward to our continued discussions about supporting the lgbtq+ community in healthy ways Thank you for choosing Love.”

New Church Statement

In its April 7 statement, the church said it had a conversation with representatives from Lititz Chooses Love over the drag performance from last year’s festival, saying it learned from the activist group that “not all Drag performances are adult-oriented, and as an artform they are not inherently sexual.”

“We confess our ignorance and lack of understanding of the daily harassment, abuse, and threat experienced by members of the LGBTQIA+ community and repent of our part in providing fodder for those who bully, harass, and threaten them,” the church said in its statement. “We thank Lititz Chooses Love for the time, energy, patience, and emotional labor freely given already as we journey to new insights. We will seek to become better educated and aware so that we may lead our congregation toward becoming a truly open, safe, and welcoming church.”

A video posted on social media of the drag performer at the 2022 Lititz Pride event shows a stack of one-dollar bills sitting on the stage next to the performer as they lip-sync the song “I Know Where I’ve Been” by Queen Latifah. The video shows the drag performer with crossed legs and a tight top with visible protruding nipples and at least one child dancing on the stage with the performer.

The church also said it was “instructed” by Bethlehem-based attorney Richard E. Santee Jr. that “Permitting gatherings and promoting a social justice agenda does not constitute political activity, as it has traditionally been interpreted by the IRS…” In its March 10 statement, the church said Lititz Chooses Love violated the park’s Declaration of Trust, which clearly prohibits “political activities including, without limitation, campaigning, demonstrations, rallies, etc.”

“We acknowledge that Lititz Chooses Love is a registered 501(c)3 organization and as such, is permitted by law to speak on social justice issues without being considered to have engaged in political activity so long as they do not promote a particular candidate or party,” the church said in its most recent statement.

Videos posted on social media from last year’s festival show at least one official participant made political statements on the main stage in the park. Jontel Toland, a Lancaster resident, gave a spoken word presentation on the history of Juneteenth, the federal holiday highlighting the end of slavery after the Civil War. In his presentation, Toland openly talks about reparations to be paid to minority communities, along with other controversial topics.

Santee also reviewed the governing documents regarding administration of the park, the church said, and confirmed that the Lititz Springs Park Board has “sole decision-making power over the day-to-day workings of Lititz Springs Park.”

The church said its leadership team has “entered into dialogue” with the park board and organizations like Lititz Chooses Love to “assure that all events held in the Park align with the charge in the original Agreement of Trust that the Park” and to provide a “park and place of attractive and healthful resort and recreation” for the community.

“We appreciate the willingness of all parties to discuss in advance plans for scheduled events in order to assure compliance with established policies,” the church said in its statement. “We look forward to a renewed and active relationship with the Lititz Springs Park Board, one in which the Park Board maintains and operates our beautiful park in furtherance of its legacy, free from outside interference, and congregational leadership provides resources and partnership in accordance with the Operating Agreement.” The Lititz Pride Festival scheduled for June 17, 2023 overcame one of its final obstacles when Lititz Borough Council approved the festival at its March 28 meeting as part of approving special event and activity permits.

Michael Yoder
Investigative Journalist | michael@thelancasterpatriot.com | + posts

Staff writer Michael Yoder is an award-winning journalist who has been honored with several Keystone Press Awards for his investigative pieces. He can be reached at michael@thelancasterpatriot.com. Follow @yoderreports on Twitter.

  • Michael Yoder
    https://www.thelancasterpatriot.com/author/michael/
    Lititz Police Investigate Swatting Incident
  • Michael Yoder
    https://www.thelancasterpatriot.com/author/michael/
    Local Farmers Question Avian Flu Outbreak on Ducks
  • Michael Yoder
    https://www.thelancasterpatriot.com/author/michael/
    Fire Damages Lancaster Bar, Leaves One Resident with Burns
  • Michael Yoder
    https://www.thelancasterpatriot.com/author/michael/
    Activists Pay Tribute to Munoz, Protesters in Lancaster
Tags: lititz chooses lovelititz springs park
Next Post
Activists Pay Tribute to Munoz, Protesters in Lancaster

Activists Pay Tribute to Munoz, Protesters in Lancaster

Comments 7

  1. Erik Ek says:
    2 months ago

    Sounds to me then that the Moravian Church and Lititz Springs Park board and park manager owe an apology to those presenting a Christian message at last years event. After all, the park manager had the police eject those Christians from the park for giving a political message, yet there was no mention of political party or candidate from what I’ve seen. Not only an apology is due, but an equally sincere invitation to these Christians to return and enter this year’s event. In the absence of such, since the church has brought in a lawyer about this, perhaps these Christian messengers should reach out to an organization such as the Independence Law Center in Harrisburg to help the church gain a fuller understanding of their sincerely meant apology.

    Reply
    • Chris Hume says:
      2 months ago

      Well said.

      Reply
  2. Bill says:
    1 month ago

    Here is the corrected headline:

    “Lititz Moravian Church Gives Go-ahead to Abandon The Bible and Its Teachings.”

    Reply
    • Chris Hume says:
      1 month ago

      Exactly.

      Reply
  3. Pingback: ‘Love Is Love’ and Other Empty Phrases - The Lancaster Patriot
  4. Abigail says:
    1 month ago

    Sexualization of children does not belong in Lititz Springs Park. Come on, Lititz! Come on Lititz Moravian! Having standards is not hateful or hurtful. It’s taking away boundaries that gets people hurt.

    Reply
  5. M Martin says:
    2 weeks ago

    If the LMC is able to realize their statements hurt their own LGBT+ members – they are realizing more than any of these comments that there are LGBT folks – of all ages and genders in the LMC community, and thus there are Christians with Christian messages at pride, so, it’s already allowed.

    What you meant to say, is Christian’s with homophobic and anti-equality signage, but tried to hide under Christianity as a whole.

    – a lifelong born and raised lititz resident, with a gay son, and gay son in law, and wonderful STRAIGHT grandchildren.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Justice?

Justice?

1 month ago
Natural Immunity Event Highlights Alternative Health Options

Natural Immunity Event Highlights Alternative Health Options

1 year ago

Popular News

  • The Confiscation

    The Confiscation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • P.J. Reilly, Baiting Deer, and Tattling on One’s Neighbor

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Dutch Haven Closes, Up for Sale

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Two Gun Control Bills Pass Pennsylvania House

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Podcast – Trusting in Lies: Julie Green, Bo Polny, and Reawaken America

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Connect with us

facebook instagram gab telegram mewe

Newsletter

THE MOST IMPORTANT LOCAL NEWS FOR LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

Subscribe to our mailing list and receive updates direct to your inbox!

Category

  • Faith
  • Lancaster News
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Media
  • National News
  • PA News
  • Perspectives
  • World News

Site Links

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

About Us

The Lancaster Patriot is a media company located in, and focusing on, Lancaster County Pennsylvania. We are dedicated to investigative local journalism and independent commentary.

  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 The Lancaster Patriot

No Result
View All Result
  • Lancaster News
  • Perspectives
  • Obituaries
  • Events
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 The Lancaster Patriot

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist