Cover Story by Chris Turek "This is not about church versus state but about discrimination," Pastor Yeager said.

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Cover Stories | Send mail to The Voice Public school bans youth pastor For two years, Pastor Jason Rhoads has met weekly with his students for lunch at Molalla High School before the school administration in November told him to keep out. -Chris Turek, photo When Jason Rhoads left his real estate career a year ago to become a youth pastor, he had no idea he would become embroiled in the constitutional controversy of the separation of church and state. Mr. Rhoads, a youth pastor at the Church of the Nazarene in Molalla, Ore., visited his students at their school during lunch every week. In November, after a student complained of feeling pressure to attend Pastor Rhoads' youth group, the Molalla school administration banned Mr. Rhoads from school property. Mr. Rhoads said he did not go to the school to propagate religion. "I'm just there as a friend to eat lunch and have fun with my kids in their environment," he said. When students who did not attend his youth group asked him questions, he gave them faith-based answers, he said. The weekly gatherings ended abruptly in early November when school and police officials guarded the entrance of Molalla River Middle School to keep Mr. Rhoads out. After discussing the issue with the school's attorneys and the American Civil Liberties Union, the Molalla school board determined that regular visits by a pastor threatened the constitutional rights of Molalla public school students, said Ralph Gierke, chairman of the Molalla River School Board. Mr. Gierke, who helped the superintendent and two police officers stop Mr. Rhoads from entering the school, said he admires Mr. Rhoads. But Mr. Gierke felt pressure to comply with ever-changing federal laws and even tighter state laws regarding religious expression in public schools. Mr. Gierke noted that the state superintendent withholds funds from schools that fail to comply with church and state laws. "This is a time where we really do not want to keep kids away from good role models," he said, "but this is what we're stuck with." Although a student's complaint of feeling pressured to go to the youth group ignited the school board's action against him, Mr. Rhoads points out that one of his students pressured the boy, not Mr. Rhoads. "It was peer pressure, positive peer pressure," he said. The school board has received additional complaints from students who have felt religious pressure. Even if the pressure comes from peers, Mr. Rhoads was the catalyst that set off the conflict, Mr. Gierke said. The Molalla School Board hopes for a ruling from the Oregon State Department of Education and possibly the state attorney general to clarify the situation, Mr. Gierke said. The school board has made concessions to Mr. Rhoads and The Church of the Nazarene. Under the school board plan, students may start and lead Bible clubs using school facilities, which Pastor Rhoads may visit on an irregular basis. "We've laid down some conditions, but they're not affording themselves those conditions," Mr. Gierke said. "The Church of the Nazarene has five to six pastors. Why they can't rotate, I don't know." After the school board warned Mr. Rhoads that entering the school would be viewed as trespassing, he sought legal advice from the American Center for Law and Justice, a Virginia-based organization that advocates religious expression in public schools. Because the school board had also contacted the ACLJ to work out the situation, the ACLJ told Mr. Rhoads to stay off school grounds until the issue was resolved. "We try to avoid confrontations if we can resolve them beforehand," said Kevin Theriot, Western Regional Counsel for the ACLJ. "But legal action will be considered if the school does not comply with the law." Mr. Theriot maintained that the Molalla school administration is in error. "[Mr.] Rhoads can come into school and speak with members of his youth group," Mr. Theriot said, "but the minute he mentions religion he has to shut up? That's a problem. That's censorship." The school administration has asked for the ACLJ's position in writing but has not received anything, Mr. Gierke said. "The most important thing is that school should remain neutral ground to discuss all kinds of different ideas," he said, "so the kids can make up their own minds." Darrell Yeager, senior pastor at The Church of the Nazarene, accused the school's administration of poor leadership and overreacting. He said the school discriminated against Mr. Rhoads' occupation. The situation would not have occurred if the issue concerned race or gay rights. "This is not about church versus state but about discrimination," Mr. Yeager told his congregation. "This is about a young man with good morals being prevented from eating lunch with his friends. "The body of Christ is never advanced through prosperity but persecution," Mr. Yeager maintained. Ironically, The Church of the Nazarene has been a community advocate for public schools. This incident will not change the church's stance, Mr. Yeager said. "It's amazing that with all the problems in public schools--drugs, sex, gangs--here's an organization that is wanting to invest a positive influence, and they're saying 'no way,'" he said. Dr. Steven Patty, chairman of youth ministries at Multnomah Bible College, agreed that meeting students at school is a powerful method of ministry. However, he also believes Christian ministers should submit to school administrations. "I appreciate that our country has a distinction between church and state," he said. "Although my heart is pained that [Mr. Rhoads] can't go to school, I am glad that Buddhists and Muslims can't go either." Dr. Patty encourages ministers to meet students at school but only if the administration approves. He added that meeting students at public schools is not the only way to reach them. "There are many other avenues for getting into the student's context," he said. "You can meet them at malls or athletic events." Mr. Rhoads still tries to show up at school when his students invite him to lunch, but the schools continue to lock their doors and turn him away. "It makes me feel like I'm a criminal," he said. Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Cover Stories | Top Of Page Send mail to The Voice| Journalism department website © 2001 The Voice. No part of this publication may be reproduced in written or electronic form without prior written consent from the journalism adviser of Multnomah Bible College. All rights reserved.