June 7, 2001
PLEASE CIRCULATE
A Personal Invitation from Karen Weldin and Bill Carpenter,
National Co-Chairs for Soulforce New Orlean’s Journey to Justice
Dear friends of Soulforce,
We don’t know whether to laugh or cry at Fred Phelp’s latest attack on Soulforce. See his full press release plus photos of "fag whoremonger" Mel White and his "grinning faggot wife" Gary Nixon – provided below in Adobe Acrobat format.
"Fred Phelps To Picket Soulforce Events In New Orleans" – PDF File 61K
Instead of laughing or crying, we’re going to use the occasion to help Soulforce. We don’t know exactly who dreamed up this wonderful response to Fred’s picket lines, but we love the idea and ask you to consider joining in.
Instead of going eyeball to eyeball with Fred and his family, the Soulforce volunteers in New Orleans will (as usual) prayerfully ignore him. In fact, we’re hoping that he pickets every Soulforce event at the Southern Baptist Annual Meeting in New Orleans, including our vigils and the Jazz Funeral.
Here’s where you come in. Fred has announced that he will picket our 6 PM dinner and training at St. Mark’s Community Center, our 8 AM and 5 PM vigils at the Superdome (as 13,000 "Messengers" enter and exit their meeting), and Wednesday’s 12 Noon Jazz Funeral, press conference, and possible civil disobedience.
Usually he and his recruits picket for an hour or so, then, once they’ve had their photos taken, they head back for their campers. That would mean Fred will probably picket 4-6 hours during our Soulforce events in New Orleans.
Will you pledge an amount to Soulforce for each hour that Fred and his people picket Soulforce with their GOD HATES FAGS signs? If you would pledge $5, $10, $20 or even more per hour, it will help underwrite this second Soulforce campaign to bring truth to the Southern Baptists. The Jazz Funeral, the vigils, and the possible civil disobedience cost a lot of money, but if just one Southern Baptist is touched by our visit, it will be worth it. Any amount you pledge is tax-deductible and gratefully received.
Simply email the amount you would like to pledge to one of our many great volunteers, Denise Ray Mueller, at deniray@columbus.rr.com. Denise will be handling all emails related to this pledge drive. After the Southern Baptist Conference is over, we’ll let you know by return email the exact number of hours Fred pickets our Soulforce actions.
Soulforce has four major direct actions planned in the next few months. See our schedule. These are expensive actions. Our volunteers pay their own airfare, hotel, and other expenses. It’s taken six months to prepare the Southern Baptists for our visit and it will cost Soulforce more than $30,000 to take this stand. We’re arriving in New Orleans with less than $8,000 in our Soulforce account. Please help us make a difference. If Soulforce weren’t mounting this campaign, no one else would be in New Orleans to confront the tragic untruths.
To use your Visa or Mastercard to donate, go to the Donate page on the web site. Or send a (tax-deductible) check to Soulforce, Inc., PO Box 4467, Laguna Beach, CA. 92652.
And your per "picket" hour pledge will let Rev. "God Hates Fags" Phelps help Soulforce bring truth to the confused hearts and minds of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please consider going to the website now and making a Donation or writing Denise at deniray@columbus.rr.com and making a pledge to Soulforce for each hour Rev. Phelps and his folks picket in New Orleans.
Blessings on you for your loving support of Soulforce,
Karen and Bill,
National Co-Chairs