Well just leave that there while we ponder the easy answer. You, the well-paid president and CEO of the Redding Chamber of Commerce, barged ahead and went full Bethel, suggesting that thousands of members of the numerous Facebook groups dedicated to criticizing the charismatic evangelical megachurch in our midst are committing the sin of hate speech. Is it religiously intolerant to reject the most obviously qualified candidates solely because of the churches they attend, and their religious practices inside those churches? But forget election-deniers for a moment. There are three seats open for this November's election for Redding City Council. 2 min read. Coupon for ctfirewood.com Dozens of local businesses have been started by Bethel attendees and many local short-term rentals are either owned by those affiliated with the church or house those who visit the region for faith tourism. 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Email:[emailprotected] That struggle led Jones to create a new, On February 28, Supervisor Jones hopes to persuade others on the Board to initiate hand counting as a way to tabulate election results in Shasta. Theyre not telling you what to do, or how to do it or keeping track of what you do. At first, to look at the un-clicked link, one might assume its an active, working site. Bethel members Tenessa Audette, 45, a first-time candidate, and Jack Munns, 64, who first ran two years ago, will now join Bethel elder Julie Winter on the 5-member council. In this election cycle, one of the things that candidate Marcus Partin has become most known for is as Michael Dacquistos sidekick candidate. Questions like that, generally asked while vigorously pacing about the room. Yes, Johnson attends the Stirring Church. Ive been in churches my whole life, she said, and Bethel is the least religious church Ive ever been in. She also served on the board of Advance Redding that manages the Redding Civic Auditorium, as well as Bethel Tech. AFAIK, Schreder and Sullivan are not. Ive never made such an inquiry, but it really is starting to look a lot like Clearwater around here. Both Bethel Church and The Stirring are noteworthy because The Stirring is often described as Bethel lite or Bethels little-sister church. Shea said he would represent all citizens in office, irrespective of their sexual identity, race, color, creed, religion, social status, housing status, or national origin. We are on the edge of the greatest revival of all time, says Bethels website. In fact, in most places it would be considered impolite and inappropriate to ask about candidates religious lives. 2023 anewscafe.com. At stake is whose vision of downtown Clearwater will prevail: the city councils or Scientologys? Between both departments, they set a goal of selling 500 signs (250 for each department), with all profits (about $4 per sign) going to a fund to buy an AED all-weather enclosure, along with AED for installation. Several of the candidates running for the Redding City Council this fall are connected to Bethel Church. All rights reserved. However on March 7th PA President Abbas said that recognising Israel as a Jewish state is 'out of the question,' a decision unanimously endorsed by the Revolutionary Council of Palestinian Authority and by the council of the Arab League. I realize many interpret it differently, as a mandate to Christians to control all institutions, She explained. This has become a great concern for many people who believe the separation of Church and State imagined by the Founders is a solid wall, not a picket fence. The four have disagreed over everything from land issues and staff raises to homeless solutions and even holiday lights at Turtle Bay Museum. Like Vollmers, Valenzuelas social media posts suggest a mindset aligned with election-deniers. The next time you talk to your neighbor, you say hey, I am thankful you mowed my lawn but this is my property, before you do that again can you please ask me? Then imagine if you will that your neighbor launches into this diatribe about how you are this poor struggling person but that they are rich and powerful! Some say the church has helped the city in many ways: Members volunteer and serve throughout the city. I hope everyone knows those things too.. . The Redding City Council seat that belongs to non-evangelical councilor, Mark Mezzano, is his to keep for another two years, alongside Winter. In reply to R.V. Redding will lease its civic auditorium to Bethel Church for up to a decade. Redding is teetering upon the unprecedented brink of being governed by a city-council majority comprised of followers of Bethel Church, The Stirring church or a combination of both. Access to MinistryWatch content is free. A non-Bethel incumbent up for reelection was the top vote-getter. Brad Everett, Bethels Director of Communications, declined to answer any of Shasta Scouts questions for this story. Crockett says he attended Bethel for nine years and continues to maintain friendships with individuals at the church. The race for Redding City Council is heating up as two candidates have made public announcements in recent days. Third, as a result of its newfound power and its dominionism, Bethel has become openly entangled in city of Redding finances as well as our politics on the local, state and federal level. I was born in the mid 80's in Yuba City, California but moved as an infant to Redding, California where I was raised and ultimately started my family. This site uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Steve Rabey November 30, 2022. In reply to Jeff Gorder. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? Bill and Beni Johnson, senior pastors Bethel Redding. The fact that members of the group routinely observe and discuss whats known as the Bethel look is not necessarily hateful. The same observation is true for Resner, a member of The Stirring. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Riddle me this: Pretend you are a retired lawyer, and you have a beautiful Siskiyou County home, and a vacation get-away in Mexico. A City Council majority Monday night decided a lease with the large revival church would be the best option for keeping the building open to the public at least part of the time. Even if Valenzuela hadnt liked [S]election Code on her Facebook page, the fact remains that Valenzuela like Hill and Vollmers lacks even a modicum of experience necessary to be an effectively qualified council member. Bethel withdrew from the Assemblies of God in 2006. Pity Partin, whos a respected professional in his own right. Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye (252), Win-River Casino Expansion: One Step(4,632), Gateway School District Update: Clif(3,529), Comment on Against Ad Hoc Committee Advice, New State California Secessionist Chriss Street May Be Countys CEO by Jolly, Comment on Against Ad Hoc Committee Advice, New State California Secessionist Chriss Street May Be Countys CEO by George Winship. The Redding City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved renewing Advance Reding's contract to run the Redding . Chamberlain holds a Bachelor's Degree in journalism from CSU, Chico. While two of Bethels candidates won their races, former Bethel celebrity Sean Feucht was less successful in his worship-music-meets-campaign efforts on behalf of two Trump-endorsed candidates. Connecting yet more Bethel/Stirring dots, Nathan Edwardson is The Stirring church pastor. Several of the candidates running for the Redding City Council this fall are connected to Bethel Church. But click on the link, and its soon apparent that theres no there, there, and that site has been non-functioning for some time. This couldnt be further from my goals and ideas about how the government should work. During winter storms, Shasta Countys lack of low-barrier shelter leaves many struggling to stay warm in the cold and snow. Theyll show up and work hard. Some students are packed-to-the-max into single family homes; their fancy cars clog neighborhood driveways. . The Legislature banned performing this known harmful practice on people 18 years old and younger several years ago. Crockett has impressively watched/endured every city council meeting since 2017. From left, Red, White and Blueprint co-collaborators Jeremy Edwardson and Carlos Zapata. Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? A question you might have asked yourself before writing is why do so many local citizens have such negative opinions about Bethel? Learn more about ctfirewood.com. The church elder on the Redding City Council. Erin Resner. For example, during one of the forums, when asked how he would deal with homelessness, Crockett addressed the audience, flipped the question and asked whattheyd done. Whats noteworthy is these endorsements are from a broad cross-section of individuals and organizations of all stripes and beliefs. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Houses and apartments are being snapped up and rented out for outrageous prices to BSSM students, often at the expense of longtime tenants. Steve Rabey is a veteran author and journalist who has published more than 50 books and 2,000 articles about religion, spirituality, and culture. The sobering reality is that Redding voters are backed against a Bethel wall with some tough questions: Do I wish, for the sake of a more balanced election playing field, that the Redding City Council race wasnt flooded with candidates who attend The Stirring or Bethel Church? Some of them are angry, as youve probably gathered from the voluminous negative emails youve received in response to your blog. In reply to Jeff Gorder. Now pretend you also own a tiny apartment over a garage behind your old legal office in downtown Redding between the railroad tracks and Court Street. But Bethel Senior Associate Leader Kris Vallotton has made multiple political statements from the pulpit, including his prophecy that Donald Trump would win the 2020 presidential election. James Crockett, who says hes a former Bethel Church member, is now a member of The Stirring. A Bethel majority on the council concerns him, he explained, because its been his experience that people at the church often think similarly and have an agenda that might not serve the city as a whole. When Crockett quips that hes attended more city council meetings in these last few years than incumbent Dacquisto, that line always gets a laugh, but its no joke. These are all responsibilities of a city council member. Feb 20, 2023 5:15 PM . One of the most persistent criticisms against Dacquisto has to do with what should be a simple question: Michael Dacquisto, where do you live?. As a result, followers of such anti-Bethel Facebook pages as Investigating Bethel (924 members) and Bethel Affiliated Businesses (1.8 mil members) have vowed to shun Bethel/Stirring candidates and choose only from the remaining candidates. Cover photo for Bethel Affiliated Businesses Facebook group. There are three primary reasons members are concerned about Bethel, not all of them shared by all members. A big fat $150 million casino on the south side of town, a den of iniquity to balance the $150 million purity palace Bethels constructing on the north side of Redding. In interviews with local candidates Shasta Scout avoided asking directly about Bethel Church involvement to avoid discriminating against individuals on the basis of their faith. Danny and Sheri Silk moved to Redding to become a part of the Bethel Senior Team. I have received no funding from Bethel, Audette wrote, In fact I have one donor from the over 400 staff that work there. The Bethel Church can be characterized as promoting Word of Faith teaching, the prosperity gospel, dominionism, " grave sucking ," and other aberrant doctrines and practices. Theres more evidence of collaboration between The Stirring Church and Bethel Church, but you get the idea. 1. A lack of effort put into the job of being an elected official. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. . In fact, Johnson agrees so much that he took to Facebook with an accounting of the some of the most damning charges against Dacquisto in a post that pretty much summarizes Johnsons stance, I voted for Michael Dacquisto 4 years ago. They are predominantly well-coifed young hipster men dressed in skinny jeans and designer t-shirts with that preternatural glow that comes from a ramen starvation diet, abstinence from sex, cigarettes and alcohol and countless late-night sessions getting drunk in the spirit.. Julie Winter, a Bethel elder, already sits on the five-seat Redding City Council. Redding Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jake Mangas. Members of Bethel the 11,000-member northern California megachurch famous for elaborate healing services, Bethel Music and musician Sean Feucht's nationwide worship protests against COVID restrictions now hold the majority on the Redding City Council after November's elections, according to nearly complete vote counts.. Bethel members Tenessa Audette, 45, a first-time candidate . Christian nationalist Doug Mastriano of Pennsylvania lost his Senate race to his Jewish opponent, while Kari Lake lost Arizonas governors race to the incumbent. Redding is the economic and cultural capital of the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California and the county seat of Shasta County.Redding lies along the Sacramento River, 162 miles (261 km) north of Sacramento, and 120 miles (190 km) south of California's northern border with Oregon.Its population is 95,542 as of the 2022 census, up from 89,861 from the 2010 census. If the voters dont like the way the city is run under the new city council, they can boot them out at the next election. Cancelled . Bethels 2017 donation of half-a-million dollars to help fund Redding police and another $25,000 to fund police drones hasnt been forgotten by the community. Four to eight inches of snowfall is expected in most of the state. Is it appropriate to scrutinize candidates religious beliefs or the church they attend? Editors note: Portions of this column have been edited for clarity. Reminding readers Bethel saved the Civic Auditorium and funded the RPDs homeless squad only rubs it in. Redding is teetering upon the unprecedented brink of being governed by a city-council majority comprised of followers of Bethel Church, The Stirring church or a combination of both. Ten candidates are running for three seats on the Redding council this fall. Some in the community worry about how the church's out-sized funding and theological beliefs, including the 7 Mountains Mandate, might impact local political candidates. Photo: KRCR video screengrab. It says so right in the Bible. Methinks this explains wee Patrick's attempt to change the oath for county employees. May 11th 2022, 6:13 PM PDT. Now Im not.. Join Kris Vallotton as we seek the Lord for heavenly strategies to release our city into breakthrough, prosperity, and abundance. Mr. Scheide welcomes your comments and story tips. Scheide is an award-winning journalist who has covered news, politics, music, arts and culture in Northern California for more than 30 years. These three appear the most polished, most prepared, most experienced, most articulate and most accomplished. Photo by Steve DuBois. She attended Bethels School of Supernatural Ministry and says she now teaches a God and Government class there to help ensure that Christians know the importance of maintaining the appropriate separation between church and state. All are equal under the law and representation.. 2018. They continue saying you should be appreciative of the help and that they really dont need to stop because they are just doing it to serve you. Copyright 2023 Shasta Scout | Powered by Indiegraf Media, Privacy Policy | Subscriber Agreement | Terms of Use, Subscribe to get our latest articles and investigations sent straight to your inbox. Feb 21, 2023 5:15 PM Agenda Agenda Packet Action Agenda Hmm! Aside from not attending either Bethel Church or The Stirring, another noteworthy distinction is that Hill is the only Democrat in the race, which tells you everything you need to know about Shasta County politics. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Contact him at RVScheide@anewscafe.com.. Scheide. These groups arent devoted to hating Bethel Church and its members, theyre devoted to exposing the grip Bethel has on Redding and their lives, and theyve garnered national media attention with their efforts. The council voted 4-1 to draft a contract with Bethel for running the 41-year-old . Feucht also worship-campaigned for Doug Lamborn, U.S. House member from Colorado Springs, who coasted to reelection. Shasta where the couple owns a spacious view-lot if thats his main residence, then Dacquisto cannot legally sit on the Redding City Council. Westbrook: 2.8 inches. I confess to suffering significant election heartburn with the knowledge that Audette was Winters former campaign manager, and that Audette received more than $15,000 in campaign consulting fees from Sean Feuchts failed congressional campaign in 2019 and early 2020, along with $2,800 in reimbursements. Hes also the brother of Jeremy Edwardson, the director/producer of the Red, White and Blueprint movement/docuseries that helped splinter the already heavily conservative Shasta County into ultra conservative take back Shasta County factions. When the Redding Civic Auditorium faced closure, Bethel created the nonprofit Advance Redding to lease the facility. He said he used to work for the church but no longer holds any staff or leadership positions there. But no. It doesnt apply to the voters, who, not being state actors are free to manifest their religious bigotry against the members of Bethel Church as much as they can refuse to elect Jews.
