Has Riverview Church Lost the Mission?

Ostensibly, it’s a nice idea. The folks at Riverview Church in Holt, Michigan, are holding a fundraiser to raise money for some high-schoolers to take a trip to Mexico. The problem is that the fundraiser, a “Mexican Fiesta,” is going to be centered around a pig roast. Which doesn’t seem very Christian. As a Christian myself, this is an issue that has always really hit home to me: I see it as a duty of the church—more than any other institution—to encourage compassion and set an irreproachable example of how to live a life of mercy, kindness, and respect and how to dedicate oneself to alleviating the suffering of others … no matter what sacrifices you may have to make along the way. ‘Cuz that’s kind of the whole point of the New Testament, the way I see it.

I’m sure Riverview Church is packed full of good, kind people—but holding an event where they burn and eat the remains of a tortured pig doesn’t seem to me to gibe very well with the mission of the church. Here’s the letter we wrote them asking that they please consider some alternatives. I’m hoping this starts a good dialogue.