Church to give hope to those without hope.

[Gregory Matthews]

In 1981, Ray Chavez established a ministry to give hope to the hopeless, as he says in the statement below:

 

 

 

New Hope Ministries in Lakewood, Colorado is a place where those bound by drugs, alcohol, gangs and violence can find an “Ounce of Hope.” If anyone knows the importance of an ounce of hope it’s Ray Chavez, who along with his wife Lola, are the founders of New Hope Ministries.

 New Hope Ministries began in 1981 and maintains rehabilitation homes for men, women and troubled youth. He is author of “An Ounce of Hope” that chronicles his struggles and ultimate conversion when he allows Christ into his heart and life. 

“The goal is to reach the lost. There is no cost to people who use the facilities and there are so many success stories from our program. The ministry also reaches out to at-risk children and troubled youth through Center of Hope  Academy, an online learning center, where each student can learn at their own pace.  

Ray Chavez would like to leave you with these words: “We’re a Center of Hope – with hands of Mercy.”

 

On Saturday, January 10, 2014, hundreds of mourners filed through the sanctuary of New Hope Ministries to view the body of Vanessa Collier, their friend and family members.  Finally, after an hour of viewing Vanessa, the funeral began.  Vanessa was not a member of the New Hope congregation.  But, she had many friends and her family knew that a very large number of people would attend.  New Hope agreed to host the ceremony and they were paid a fee of some $400.00 for hosting the service.

 

Fifteen minutes into the funeral service  Pastor Chavez came to the front and began to  speak:  The service must end he said and it could not continue.  You see, Vanessa was married to a person named Christina.  New Hope did not believe in lesbian marriages and for the service to continue there must be no mention of Christina and no mention that Vanessa was a lesbian.  There could be no display of photos of Christina and a video of Vanessa's life could not be shown.

 

NOTE:  The family alleges that they had provided New Hope with the video a week prior to the funeral and the church  could have stopped the funeral from being held at New Hope well before the actual funeral began.

 

So, with the pronouncement that the funeral could not continue the picked up the casket, flowers and other stuff and carried it across the street and the  funeral continued.

 

More information about this may be obtained from:   www.denverpost.com/extra  and   http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_27312180/family-lakewood-church-refuses-funeral-service-because-woman?source=most_viewed

 

 

 

   

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

interesting... is it a Baptist church?

 

(Regardless of what denomination, I think the pastor's actions and demands were reprehensible..)

[Gregory Matthews]

It is probably an independent church.

 

If he was going to say "no,"  that decision should have come much earlier and not after the service had already begun.

[Gail]

I agree, in sensitivity to the family no matter what persuasion the honored member was.

[Gregory Matthews]

This issue continues to be front page news and editorials on the editorial page.  The consensus is:

 

1)  The pastor and the church had every right to refuse to allow the funeral to take place in their building.

2) Such a decision should have been communicated to the family before the day of the funeral.

3) To stop the funeral after it had begun was inappropriate on the part of the pastor.