Your RVP is proud to announce our newest advertiser – Mars Hill Rainier Valley:
The most diverse zip code in the state is 98118, and the only thing more diverse is the Gospel because it is a faith for all tongue, tribe, and nation. The mission of Mars Hill Rainier Valley is love, serve, and preach Jesus to the Rainier Valley.
Our community has been hit hard by the recession, gang violence, and educational systemic failures. Our heart is to bring a sense of peace—a wholeness and fullness—to the Rainier Valley by reaching the neighborhood with the Good News of Jesus.
We’ve been blessed with a unique partnership with Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. We are grateful and excited to be serving on mission with them as we continue to love and serve the Rainier Valley community.
At Mars Hill Church, we’re all about Jesus. If you’re looking to join a thriving local church that preaches the Bible and serves the city, please join us for Sunday services, held at the Union Gospel Mission. All are welcome to worship with us and join us on our mission to serve the Rainier Valley.
We meet every Sunday at 9:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Kids ministry is available at each service. Make sure to invite your family and friends! For more information, visit our website.
Also, check us out on our Facebook or Twitter pages and feel free to email us with any questions: rainier@marshill.com.
You, too can advertise with your RVP – the buzz of the valley and the best way to reach your target market in Seattle’s most diverse community. Find more info here.
Who to know, where to eat & what to do in one of America’s most diverse zip codes!
{ 36 comments }
yeah, let’s welcome the misogynistic, homophobic, evangelical megachurch that Mars Hill is…..
An interesting article on this church: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/church-or-cult/Content?oid=12172001 .
God businesses give me the creeps, but I’m happy that RVP is drawing sponsorship. Keeping the lights on at RVP is money better spent than buying Beemers and plastic surgery for the people at the top of the pyramid.
It seems that Seattle values all kids of diversity except philisophical or ideological diversity. I’m waiting for Musicanimal and those that would express a similar view to set up in the 98118 a postmodernist, progressive version of the Inquisition of old.
Tolerance would seem not to include tolerance of differing beliefs.
I am with Voltaire on this one. “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it.”
I don’t, and won’t, go to Mars Hill, but they and their point of view, are a welcome addition to this ecletic and diverse part of the City.
“I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it.”
Amen to that.
i want to read his book brfore i post an opinion.
It’s a cult…but then, I’m a woman and thus, a “weaker vessel,” so what do I know. Keep your misogyny to yourself.
RVP, you’ve just lost my small donations. Sorry, but that church preaches hate, and thrives on power. Very disappointing. Money is money no matter how dirty.
Bad call RVP. We love diversity but I’ll be damned if I welcome homophobic bigoted misogynists into my neighborhood thank you very much.
I’m wondering how many of you have gone to Mars Hill Church? I’m wondering how many of you speak out of ignorance? Or are you taking the incredibly unbiased Stranger’s word for it? I go to Mars Hill and can tell you that it is not hate-filled, in fact it is the exact opposite. It welcomes EVERYONE, gay, straight, white, black, asian, rich and poor. In fact, we absolutely welcome everyone who speak lies, fabrications and half-truths about us. So, instead of trusting someone else’s opinion. Find out if we are hateful for yourself.
Jim Smith, I will PASS!
I have spent quite a bit of time in the past looking at the Mars Hill website. They may welcome “everyone” to a service, but they do preach homophobia and misogyny clearly and loudly. How does that jive with the RVP’s general policy?
I welcome freedom of speech. Personally though, I want nothing to do with that church.
Do you have a link to the blog/sermon on their website where they preach a hatred of women (misogyny) and an extreme aversion to homosexual people (homophobia)?
@CBO: As much as I love the diversity of thought that you bring to the table, you can’t throw up 1,000 words without clearer attribution to who said what. Please also try to limit direct lifts of content found elsewhere to a couple hundred words that includes a direct link to where we can read more. Thanks.
P.S. Your revised comment will be held for moderation if it has two or more links. It’s not a problem, just may take a little longer to be posted.
@SEMom: The RVP’s general policy is to encourage vigorous and civil debate that represents a wide diversity of thought and opinion. I have never shielded my readers from unpleasant or unpopular information because I didn’t think they could handle it and decide for themselves, and I won’t start now. You are an adult, and I trust you to make up your own mind about Mars Hill, Island Soul, Valley & Mountain, Seward Park Audubon and all the rest of our advertisers. It’s your right and your responsibility.
@CBO: And that’s the beauty of a free society. I don’t have to censor Mars Hill, and you don’t have to welcome them. Isn’t that the point?
Editor,
Thanks for the thoughtful reply.
Exactly editor. The comment was specifically for Jim Smith, who wanted links. Feel free to cut it and I can repost a shorter version with specific citations.
All I want to say is that I’m glad this sparked a conversation, and a big thanks to the RVP for respectfully allowing it to happen.
@Editor-nobody is saying you have to censor Mars Hill. My point is you’re taking money from an organization that condones hatred.
And, no, i’m NOT just going by what the Stranger says….
PS. Isn’t this somewhat like saying that Big Money has to be kept out of political campaigns? As in, if some big late breaking negative news came in about Mars Hill, would you report on it?
I agree with musicanimal. I’m disappointed to see that RVP is accepting money from a misogynist, oppressive organization. Just because MHC has money to burn doesn’t mean you have to accept it. Oppression does not build community.
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/church-or-cult/Content?oid=12172001
@musicanimal: Think this through for a minute, will you?
First, why does your question only apply to Mars Hill? What about all the rest of our advertisers? And if we can’t raise money by selling ad space, who do you think is going to subsidize this service? You? Me? Someone else?
Second, MANY churches discourage homosexuality, birth control, premarital sex and all sorts of other things you and I may or may not agree with. So what? Should the RVP refuse to sell ad space to all religious organizations? Nobody’s forcing you to like them, support them or attend their events. It would be nice though if we could show the same tolerance that we have come to expect from others.
Third, it is not my job, responsibility or desire to protect other adults from information they may or may not find objectionable. I simply don’t claim the moral authority to make those decisions for others.
Most importantly, the spirited and civil debate that has taken place here this week among neighbors as a result of the Mars Hill sponsorship is clear and simple proof that it was a good decision.
Not good RVP…Driscoll is a homophobe and sexist.
@Jim Smith: I have been to MH. I was there when Driscoll said homosexuals are cancer to the church. He was speaking to those who friended gays and accepted them. That the cancer would spread to them. So as a gay man, I should feel welcomed?!!! Totally nuts. Dude is a homophobe.
@Editor-”Think this through for a minute, will you?”
You don’t seem to be getting my point at all.
First, it applies to Mars Hill, because it’s your latest sponsor. I’m unaware of the inclinations of the rest of your sponsors. Perhaps I should look at all of your advertisers to see if any of them are also misogynistic and homophobic.
Second, yes, many churches discourage homosexuality, birth control, pre-marital sex…Are you taking money from many churches? My issue is with Mars Hill.
Third, i know it’s not your “responsibility or desire to protect other adults from information they may or may not find objectionable. I simply don’t claim the moral authority to make those decisions for others.”….But i do expect your job to be thinking about where you are getting your money….Can you be unbiased about an organization that you receive sponsorship money from?
And last, “Most importantly, the spirited and civil debate that has taken place here this week among neighbors as a result of the Mars Hill sponsorship is clear and simple proof that it was a good decision.” is simply laughable.
@musicanimal: I do get your points, and I simply don’t agree. I’ve thought about all of this at length and am more than comfortable with my decision. If you don’t like it, you are welcome to stop using this free service anytime.
Amber, I think part of the dilemma is that you seem to be approaching this ethical issue from a journalist’s standpoint. However, Mars Hill is introduced as a “sponsor,” with its own post that looks like a feature. The MHC ad about “real marriage” runs directly under your own tagline “Support Our Sponsors.” There’s an implied endorsement here that bleeds the line between content and advertising, so I’m not clear what kind of publication this is. Journalism and marketing are not the same thing, and I know this because I have a journalism degree from WWU that required education in both of these subjects, as well as ethics and law. While I was there, the student newspaper had a similar issue with an advertiser that evolved into several significant community-wide meetings (not just on campus) and ultimately the newspaper’s decision to discontinue the ad.
I enjoy reading the RVP and getting news about events and issues in our community. And I also appreciate all the hard work you put into this blog. But this is an ethical dilemma that deserves more consideration than your statement that “the spirited and civil debate that has taken place here this week among neighbors as a result of the Mars Hill sponsorship is clear and simple proof that it was a good decision.” If you want RVP to be a form of journalism, please be open to and curious about the significance of this issue, and the feedback you are getting from the community. But if RVP is simply a marketing vehicle, then obviously debate is irrelevant, but so is any attempt to portray RVP as anything but a promotion of its sponsors.
Thank you MLA….
Perhaps we should all reconsider our (granted collective not individual) rejection of the notion of paying as subscribers for our news.
And by “paying”, I don’t mean the optional donation. Or the $1.00 for your newspaper. I mean…paying. As in covering the tab for the production and distribution cost, which has been vastly subsidized by the ad dollar thus far in our “media model”.
If you honestly think that the RVP or the Seattle Times or Fisher or Belo or Hearst or Knight Ridder or anyone else is vetting every advertiser with a level of scrutiny that would assure compliance with our politically correct sensibilities, wake up. They are not. They are in the business of being in business. Just like you are, when you cash that check from your employer with whom I’d be hard pressed to believe most people would find completely in adherence to all notions of even handed always politically correct, polite, green and good smelling business practices and philanthropy.
At the risk of sounding like a histrionic idiot, I just think there’s a larger issue here. Media is tainted. Like it or not. And to those of you thinking, “well obviously the community objects to this advertiser she should just take it down”, what about the part of the community that does support MH? What about the sh*tstorm the Editor will surely face should she buckle to those most vociferous amongst us… today, in favor of tomorrow’s different but equally craptastic attack?
Would you like her job? I for one, pass. That job sucks.
@MLA: What makes you think I’m not open to and curious about the significance of this issue? Or that I haven’t given it a great deal of consideration? Is it because I just don’t agree with some of you and refuse to be bullied into changing my mind?
In fact, I have said more – a lot more – than the one line you quoted. I’ve engaged with several readers on a thoughtful and real basis according to my values and belief system, and I’m confident that I’ve addressed most of the issues raised.
You may not like or respect my position, and that’s ok. At some point, we will just have to agree to disagree. For some of you, that won’t be enough and you will choose to stop reading the RVP. That’s fine, too.
Bottom line: You would not be reading or discussing anything on the RVP right now if it weren’t for the sponsors that support us and subsidize the free service that you all enjoy. So yes, of course we are promoting them. That’s what they pay for. It’s also clearly labeled as such, including and especially in the post you mentioned.
The vehicles we’ve used to promote Mars Hill are exactly the same as those used to promote every other sponsor, and I think that’s just what rankles some of you. You want me to change the rules according to YOUR value system and treat Mars Hill differently, and I’m not going to.
You don’t have to like, respect or agree with my decision, but it’s my decision to make. After more than four years of serving this community in the way that I have, I’ve earned the right to make that decision according to MY value system, at least in this space.
Screw censorship (whether of the lefty or righty variety) AND screw the Mars Hill Church (and misogynistic/homophobic wack job organizations). Make sweet, sweet love to the RVP for making this session possible. Thanks, and good night.
@Ahow, you’re absolutely right. Advertising is a tricky arena when it comes to media. That’s why ongoing discussion about it is so important, IMO.
@Editor, I don’t want to stop reading RVP — I really do enjoy the blog! I am so very appreciative of everything you do to keep South Seattle up to date on what’s happening in our neighborhood. I always look forward to reading your posts. I really want to make clear that the reason I’m still talking about this is because RVP matters to me.
Yes, I think the MHC debate is bringing attention to RVP’s “advertorial” approach. Businesses pay for advertising space. This is not the same as active promotion by the publication, although it sounds like you’ve made the choice to include this in your advertising package. Personally, I think straight-up ads are the way to go, for ALL advertisers. People see the ads and can make their own decisions about who to patronize. I read RVP to get updates on what’s happening in our neighborhood, and I love that. I just don’t want to be told that I should give money to a business that I’m strongly opposed to.
Direct community support, as Ahow suggested, is also a great idea.
Just wanted to say that as a Brighton neighborhood resident that is very invested in and loves this community, and as a member of Mars Hill, I appreciate the Editor’s posts. As well, to give a little perspective, as a church that’s only one month old, there is significant presence and growth there already- I believe the church is one of the larger (if not largest) church in the RV and it’s quite new. So there are many whose views run counter to the majority of comments. There are many who don’t see how contributing to a comment thread such as this one would be profitable, and so they keep silent. The loudest voices are often the most negative, but to be sure, most of the neighbors, business owners, and pastors in the area that I’ve spoken with are very receptive to the message of our church: we love Jesus and we love people. There’s a lot of assumptions of and flat out falsehood being attributed to Mars Hill in some of these comments (“I was there when Driscoll said homosexuals are cancer to the church” for instance), but I would encourage you to at least check it out and then form your judgments based off of firsthand experience! You still may not like it, but then, as least, it will be the church you dislike and not the Stranger’s biased caricature of it.
MHC sermons go through books of the Bible. They do their very best at making what the Bible says clear to all. The only time they do not go through books of the Bible is when they do a topical series, which is what ‘Real Marriage’ is. Real Marriage focuses on what the Bible has to say about how men and women should conduct themselves. Anyone can accept or deny to follow what it says. But when 70% of recent theft/home invasions have been done by people under 18, I think we all earnestly desire to see this change, and to have future generations live with peace, understanding and wisdom. I will stay full of hope that this Church teaching how to protect, love, care, and respect may help some of the people that are hurting and lost in the RV.
glad to see people are definitely being vocal about this. personally, I’m not a fan of taking money from organizations that aren’t inclusive (let alone some other choice words I could have for MH) nor do I support them. regardless, happy to see a dialogue and see @editor standing up for your own beliefs. i’ll find my news elsewhere.
@too bad Wouldn’t being “inclusive” be taking money from any sponsor. Wouldn’t being inclusive, be being inclusive of all points of view, even those you disagree with. Would being pluralistic and inclusive mean inviting people of all points of view about homosexuality to voice their opinion? Aren’t the following statements equally non-inclusive:
“We believe homosexuality is normal and O.K. Those that disagree with us may not be sponsors and should be ostricized by everyone in the Rainier Valley.” Note the statement, excludes those that differ in thought from those who support homosexuality.
“We believe homesexualtiy is not norma and a sin. Those that disagree with us, may not soil the church doorway and should be sotricized by everyon in the Rainier Valley.” Not the statement, excludes those that differ in thought form those who disagree with homosexuality.
Your “inclusivity” is awfully exclusionary. Diversity in everything, except ideology or thought?
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