Trinity Presbyterian Church can sell property to whomever it wishes. But it is unlikely in the extreme that as they seized this opportunity for “interfaith dialogue and friendship,” that they asked any questions, or received any information, about who is funding this Islamic Association, or what they will be teaching there, or what they think about Sharia and the possibility of Muslims living peacefully as equals with non-Muslims on an indefinite basis.
No one would dare ask such questions. To do so would be unfriendly, unwelcoming. But unfortunately they must be asked. There is plenty of evidence of jihad activity and the teaching of Islamic supremacism in American mosques and Islamic schools. See the Freedom House report of 2005.
“Islamic symbol replaces cross after sale of PCUSA church: Officials spurn offers from Christian groups,” by Gary Miller in The Layman, with thanks to Foreign:
In the spring of 2005, First Presbyterian Church and John Knox Presbyterian Church of Bossier City, La., merged to form Trinity Presbyterian Church. In January of 2006, Trinity Church sold a piece of property to the Shreveport/Bossier City Islamic Association.
That property consisted of a sanctuary building, office space, a fellowship hall and an educational wing. The congregation gained $350,000. Their asking price was the appraised value of $375,000.
According to its co-pastor, Rev. Beth Sentell, they rejected two other offers. Both offers were from Christians. One buyer wanted to house an outreach program to the poor and homeless, the other needed space for worship and evangelistic outreach to the community….
Sentell is, incidentally, the current chair of the presbytery”s administrative council. Sentell said two considerations influenced their decision to sell the church plant to the Islamic Society. First was the amount of money offered, second was the opportunity to engage in interfaith dialogue and friendship.
She and her husband, Dr. Web Sentell, have since attended a lecture on Islam at the former Presbyterian facility and they plan to invite the Islamic congregation and its imam to a church supper where the imam will field questions.
Dr. Sentell said, “We worship the same God, the God of Abraham.” He claims the sale was part of God’s plan to help advance mutual respect. The imam has offered to teach him Arabic. Dr. Sentell, a psychologist working at Barksdale Air Force Base, is “seriously considering” his offer to learn the language of the Koran.
Rev. J. Daniel Hignight is the co-pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church and the stated clerk for Pines Presbytery. Hignight conferred on several occasions with Mark Tammen, associate stated clerk of the Office of the General Assembly. Tammen guided him regarding the merger and confirmed that Trinity Church had the right to sell the property without presbytery”s approval.
Hignight could not recall if he had mentioned to Tammen that the buyer was an Islamic Association. Hignight thought they could not legally refuse any offer on the basis of religion. He recounted a meeting with the imam where they agreed it was “providential” they came together as buyer and seller.
When asked if he would ever seek to lead a member of the Islamic Society to Jesus Christ, Hignight said, “I don’t feel a particular need to convert them to Christianity.” He declared they are each “children of Abraham,” a view the 2006 General Assembly rejected.
The spire of the former First Presbyterian Church of Bossier City, Louisiana once lifted high the cross. It now makes visible the symbol of the star and crescent which was once a central emblem of Islamic conquest.