Aldersgate Pastor Appears on Jon Stewart’s ‘Daily Show’
Reverend defends controversial decision to allow Muslims to pray at church
Rev. Dennis Perry will appear on “The Daily Show” on Friday night to explain his decision to allow members of a nearby mosque to hold Friday prayers at his church, Aldersgate United Methodist church.
The segment, which first aired Thursday at 11 p.m., can also be viewed here .
Appearing with Perry before Aldersgate's towering cross is the executive director of the mosque, Naeem Baig. The filming was done at the Fort Hunt Road church April 1. The interviewer is John Oliver.
Perry and his assistant, Rev. Jason Micheli, have come under fire from some parishioners for the decision. The church first opened its doors to Muslims in the fall, welcoming their prayer sessions in the church’s Guback Center. When Fox News picked up the story in February, it set off a firestorm of controversy and media attention.
Fox Reporter Lauren Green asked if it was appropriate for churches to host Muslim worshippers and warned of “Chrislam”—a blending of Christianity and Islam.
The story garnered 3,000 comments online, many enraged, and unleashed an assault of angry mail and phone calls to Aldersgate’s pastors, according the United Methodist Reporter.
Then presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee chimed in, questioning whether any church was “really ever intended to be a place where something that is the antithesis of the gospel of Christ would be presented.”
Since the decision was made, some Aldersgate parishioners have left the church.
“It’s sad,” said Perry, reached by telephone early Friday. “And the people who have left are people of integrity. We’ve also had people come to the church because of the decision.”
"Daily Show" interviewer John Oliver jokes in the video that there is “an epidemic” of Christian churches across America opening their doors to the Muslim community.
Perry was asked Friday by Fort Hunt Patch if such a national movement would win The War on Terror?
“I think it’s a step in the right direction,” he said. “You’ve got to build peace whenever you get the chance. Instead of seeing Muslims as competitors, we need to work together for a common purpose.”
The Muslims who are worshiping Friday at Aldersgate while the building of their mosque is completed have invited Christians to their mosque, according to Amy Hurd, director of Aldersgate communications.
But what would Jesus say?
“Jesus spent most of his time with religious outsiders,” said Rev. Perry.
“Jesus would love what we’re doing.”
Bruce Cerrone
9:14 am on Saturday, May 7, 2011
I don't believe American Muslims are as uneducated and radical as the Middle Eastern sects...As long a Peace and Harmony prevails, I don't see a problem with Rev. Perry and the Aldergate UMC...Bruce Cerrone
Mary Porter, CHC
9:29 am on Saturday, May 7, 2011
What an extraordinary opportunity to learn from and love our neighbors.
Skip Jones
9:58 am on Saturday, May 7, 2011
several churches in the ft hunt corridor have done the same, opening their doors to this religious community to worship while the group builds its own space. how is it that fox news and mr. huckabee don't seem to value tolerance and loving one's neighbor as one's self?
Karen Marienau
11:59 pm on Saturday, May 7, 2011
What a wonderful way to show love. Jesus left us with many ideas. But the greatest of these is Love. There are so many people who don't get it. Maybe we ought to concentrate on the Love part and worry about the rules later.
Karen Marienau
Ray Blunt
8:43 pm on Sunday, May 8, 2011
This issue is not that simple that it can be blanketed either by love thy neighbor or oppose those who oppose Jesus as Lord. The commonality of a Christian faith built on a relationship of grace and faith in Jesus and a religion that denies Jesus as Lord and sees salvation in works, not grace, is not one with much in common. Christians the world over are killed by Muslims simply for worshiping or for converting from Islam. If the proximity of the two congregations leads to some action to bring safety to Christians in Islamic lands or to a common understanding that terrorism is an agreed upon source of evil then that may make sense. This is more than a simple rental agreement or a simple "let's love our neighbor" situation. A rush to judgment is not an appropriate response but neither is a brushing aside the obvious enmity that exists across the world between these two starkly different religions. "Who do you say that I am?" as Jesus asked his disciples and us may be a good place to begin a dialogue.
Ray Blunt
Tuck Bowerfind
10:24 pm on Sunday, May 8, 2011
We allow almost any group to use our church building. Some pay a fee. There are many congregations that operate without their own building. At this point we have two different Christian congregations using the church. The ICNA congregation has used our parish hall. Several Hindu families have used the parish hall for celebrations. We also have Yoga groups, karate, fairfax county parenting program, Boy Scouts, and various groups use the building for car washes and parties. Most of these uses generate little or no revenue. It is a service or ministry the congregating provides for the needs of our neighbors. We also provide funding, food, clothing, and need based emergency relief regardless of a person's religious beliefs. We do these things because in Christ there is a new creation. We are no longer Jew or Greek, we are one redeemed family of God called to love one another as Christ loves. We hold and use and steward our building as a trust from one generation to another as a means for providing a place for all people to find a place in the household of God.