Response to Letter-to-the-Editor
Hello Church Family!
On Tuesday evening last week in our Sanctuary, we hosted an informative and engaging event called “Exposing Christian Nationalism” with special guest Amanda Tyler, a nationally-recognized author and speaker on the subject. At the end of the week, the Denton Record-Chronicle published a letter-to-the-editor written by an attendee. In his letter, Mr. Knopick claimed to have been removed from the event because he asked a question challenging some of the speaker’s assertions. He also called into question our church’s commitment to truly welcoming all people, including those with whom we may disagree.
I would not normally address something like this so broadly, but given his experience is now featured in our local media, I felt it appropriate—and even necessary—to offer a response.
First, I want to confirm that Mr. Knopick did attend the event, and was the first attendee to speak during our limited Q&A time at the end of Ms. Tyler’s presentation. After he had been sharing his perspective on the microphone for nearly two minutes, I did ask him if his comments were leading to a question for our guest. He finished speaking, asked for Ms. Tyler’s thoughts on his remarks, and began to sit down, still holding the microphone.
What Mr. Knopick failed to mention in his letter-to-the-editor is that after he sat down, I asked for him to return the microphone, at which point he said, “You’re an a*******.”
I calmly, but firmly, told him, “You will not speak to me that way. You need to leave now.” He refused, so I explained that he could either leave willingly, or we would unfortunately need to call the police. At this point, three FUMC members approached and helped me usher Mr. Knopick from the Sanctuary. We explained to him multiple times why he was asked to leave: not because of the content of his question nor his desire to challenge the views of the featured speaker, but rather because of his derogatory and aggressive language.
Thankfully, the entire live-streamed event, including the full presentation and Q&A, is available to watch on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/@FUMCDenton/streams. For those curious, it also includes my exchange with Mr. Knopick, which unfortunately did distract momentarily from an otherwise excellent evening.
I want to be clear: All people are certainly welcome at FUMC Denton, and our “big tent” identity as a church means our 2,000 members disagree about any number of beliefs and views. We can faithfully disagree while maintaining a culture of respect and holy conversation.
Yes, all people are welcome; all behaviors, however, are not.
As one of your pastors, I believe that our church should be a place where courageous conversations can be held, where challenging subjects can be addressed, and where diverse people can find belonging. I trust that the Spirit will guide us in this work as we seek to walk in the light of grace and truth. This note is my attempt to shine a light on the truth of this event, and I hope it helps clarify who we are as a community of faith.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.
I look forward to seeing you tonight at the Music Ministry’s performance of “Robert Ray's Gospel Mass” at 6:30p in the Sanctuary!
Grace and Peace,
Scott