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Whatever happened to...

By SHERYL KAY and EMILY NIPPS
Published December 31, 2006

Even on sabbatical, Warren Clark doesn't rest.

The pastor of First United Church of Tampa in Temple Terrace is still fuming over the treatment of former University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian.

"This is tough for him, but really very, very hard for his family," said Clark, who counseled Al-Arian during his federal trial on accusations of fundraising for terrorists. Through a plea deal, Al-Arian received 18 months in a Virginia prison.

The government asked Al-Arian to testify in other cases. He refused and was held in contempt of court.

While on a break from pastoral duties, Clark is exploring how other smaller, progressive churches are getting their message to those who don't physically worship on Sundays. By studying various means of communication, including blogging and podcasting, Clark hopes to bring back a wealth of tools to help First United spread the word.

Leaders at Cypress Point Community Church decided to hand out $5 gas cards to new visitors during a five-week period in September and October.

They advertised the giveaway in local newspapers and hoped it would boost membership. They figured it was an appropriate offering, given the state of gas prices today.

People didn't flock to the free gas, though. They were merely curious about it.

"It worked in a really good way," said Dean Reule, the lead pastor. "Just not in a way that I expected."

Turns out, people who visited the church didn't really need free gas. The church gave away only about 30 cards, though it had many more visitors than that.

Most of the newcomers, Reule said, simply wanted to see "what kind of church thinks outside of the box."

The church, which meets in New Tampa's Muvico Starlight Theater, is known for its progressive style of worship, so the progressive style of marketing should come as no surprise. Reule said the church might try another giveaway in the near future, either before or after the projected grand opening of its new, permanent building this summer.

"I think there's probably a better thing to give away, though," Reule said. "Something out there that people perceive to have greater value than gas. Probably something like Starbucks."

Just as the church had intended, when James Young drove by the display board out front he read the message and took it to heart.

But Young, an atheist, wasn't moved in the direction that the church perhaps had hoped.

"A Free Thinker is Satan's Slave" read the marquee at a Plant City church.

Young, a onetime minister, was incensed. He wrote a letter to the church, saying that its "attempt to stereotype those who use their head for something other than a hat rack as agents of evil" is typical of the Christian right.

When he received no response for several weeks, Young made his own signs, which said "Jesus Isn't Coming" and "Nothing Fails Like Prayer." He spent almost five hours on a Sunday morning picketing in front of the church and sharing his views with parishioners who stopped to talk.

It's all in a day's work for Young, who still sets up his information booth at the University of South Florida Bull Market on Wednesday mornings. If you miss him there, he's at 7th Avenue and 16th Street in Ybor City on Friday nights after 10 p.m.

Young doesn't think the Democratic gains in November's elections will be much help to his cause. The judiciary is still stacked with conservative ideologues, he said. "I don't think people realize the threat to their civil rights, social justice and equality yet," Young said.

Sheryl Kay can be reached at (813) 230-8788 or skreporter@hotmail.com.

[Last modified December 30, 2006, 21:12:50]