On Sunday, NBC Nightly News found it pertinent to run a puff piece on a liberal Tennessee church that fill-in weekend anchor Carl Quintanilla hyped as a place “where the views of all are welcome” and gay people are welcomed with the full benefits of membership (including baptisms and marriages).
In a tease earlier in the broadcast, Quintanilla told viewers to stick around to hear “how a church in the south transformed itself into a place where the views of all are welcome.”
Quintanilla returned from a commercial break and first mentioned that Rowan County, Kentucky Clerk would return to work on Monday after being jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.
Using Davis a symbol for all conservative Christians, the CNBC host ruled that “[n]ot everyone shares those views, of course” and added that “in neighboring Tennessee, one church has shifted in its thinking about matters of tolerance and inclusion.”
Ultra-liberal correspondent Harry Smith began his report from Grace Pointe Church with a broad observation from the left about Christianity and southern states: “Sunday morning in the south. Everyone knows you best be in church, but for years, what gays heard from the pulpit was more about God's wrath than God's love.”
Smith turned to a gay couple to each provide soundbites touting the benefits of attending Grace Pointe and then described the church as “one of a handful of evangelical Christian churches which has chosen to fully accept gay members, including marriage and baptism.”
Speaking with Pastor Stan Mitchell, Smith explained that the decision by Mitchell to alter the church’s belief structure “caused a schism in the congregation” with “[m]ore than half walked out vowing never to return.” Brushing it off, Smith reassured Mitchell’s line of thinking by adding that “he gets it” because “[h]e used to feel the same way.”
In the two-minute-and-45-second story (plus an eight second tease), only 17 seconds were reserved for the other viewpoint that churches like Grace Pointe are turning away from the true meaning of the Gospel:
SMITH: Grace Pointe's acceptance of gays is a mistake, says Dan Scott of Nashville's Christ Church. Scripture, not society, should prevail. [TO SCOTT] Do you feel like the culture is having too much affect on the church?
NASHVILLE CHRIST CHURCH’s DAN SCOTT: Yeah. Culture always affects the church, but it cannot push the church to redefine itself.
Once that was shown, however, Smith shot back by claiming that Grace Point’s attendance is bustling: “Yet, Sunday by Sunday, Grace Pointe's pews have begun to fill again with newcomers.”
The relevant portions of the transcript from September 13's NBC Nightly News can be found below.
NBC Nightly News
September 13, 20156:44 p.m. Eastern [TEASE]
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Coming Up]
CARL QUINTANILLA: When Nightly News continues on this Sunday, how a church in the south transformed itself into a place where the views of all are welcome.
(....)
6:47 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Back to Work]
QUINTANILLA: Kim Davis was released last week from jail after spending five nights in custody. Davis was found in contempt for refusing to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples. She argued doing so would violate her religious beliefs. In the meantime, most of her deputies have been issuing the licenses. Not everyone shares those views, of course, and in neighboring Tennessee, one church has shifted in its thinking about matters of tolerance and inclusion. We get that story tonight from NBC's Harry Smith.
HARRY SMITH: Sunday morning in the south. Everyone knows you best be in church, but for years, what gays heard from the pulpit was more about God's wrath than God's love.
(....)
SMITH: Grace Pointe is one of a handful of evangelical Christian churches which has chosen to fully accept gay members, including marriage and baptism.
GRACE POINTE PASTOR STAN MITCHELL: We're either demons or angels, depending on who you talk to. We’d love just to be human.
SMITH: Pastor Stan Mitchell says the full inclusion of gay individuals caused a schism in the congregation. More than half walked out vowing never to return. Mitchell says he gets it. He used to feel the same way.
MITCHELL: I understand. I was sincere. I think it's a horrible caricature to say that all of the folk who disagree with my position are homophobes and haters. That's not true.
SMITH: Grace Pointe's acceptance of gays is a mistake, says Dan Scott of Nashville's Christ Church. Scripture, not society, should prevail. [TO SCOTT] Do you feel like the culture is having too much affect on the church?
NASHVILLE CHRIST CHURCH’s DAN SCOTT: Yeah. Culture always affects the church, but it cannot push the church to redefine itself.
SMITH: Yet, Sunday by Sunday, Grace Pointe's pews have begun to fill again with newcomers like Jennifer and Linda O’Connell.
(....)
SMITH [TO MITCHELL]: How do you know you're right?
MITCHELL: I don't know I'm right, but I feel deeply as deeply as I can that I am – I know my heart’s right. I hope my head is.
SMITH: Is it courage or sacrilege? Either is a matter of faith. Harry Smith, NBC News, Franklin, Tennessee.
