Church joins video store to stamp out pornography

By: American Decency Staff

Church joins video store to stamp out pornography By: Paul R Kopenkoskey[Taken from Grand Rapids, Press December 15, 2007] https://americandecency.org/main.php?f=updates_new/2007/december/12.17a.07 Grand Rapids – The 200 adult movies Dan Fochtman keeps hidden at his video store have a date with a shredder Sunday [December 16, 2007]. Fochtman, co-owner of Video Master at 2431 Eastern Ave. SE, decided the $4,000 monthly profit his store gets from sales and rentals of pornographic DVDs is not worth the impact they have on the Alger Heights neighborhood. That’s why the movies will be destroyed during Tabernacle Community Church’s 10 a.m. service Sunday. Fochtman said he will say a few words to the congregation, which will be asked to take a stand against pornography. “Porn destroys lives and families,â€Â he said. “We wanted to attract some better clients and build an awareness that we’re a family oriented store. The neighborhood is very conservative.â€Â But before waving goodbye to a third of his store’s revenue, Foctman met with leaders from Tabernacle Community, Seymour Christian Reformed and Alger Park Christian Reformed churches to enlist their help in getting the word out that his store would stop renting and selling adult videos in October. “Tabernacle Church bent over backwards to work with us and help us out.â€Â he said. Fochtman intended to sell the DVDs to customers at cost, but the Rev. Marvin Williams, Tabernacle Community’s teaching pastor, offered to have the church purchase them for $2,000. Fochtman agreed. “We’re real serious in trying to stamp this out in a symbolic way.â€Â said Williams. “We realize if we get rid of them at Video Master, people will probably go someplace else, but we want to walk along somebody and help them." Williams said the church is forming a recovery group for those addicted to pornography. “We’ve seen how pornography ruined the lives of men, women and families,â€Â he said. Foctman said there are other movie genres that some customers could shake a judgmental finger at, but he considers pornography more destructive. “It’s a hard decision to make, â€Âhe said. “There are so many controversial videos, even Harry Potter videos that have a PG rating. But I don’t think they have a negative effect like porn does.â€Â Feedback has been positive so far, he said. “I think, in time, we will recoup and re-establish ourselves as a new business,â€Â Fochtman said. ************************** Also, this from WZZM TV 13, Grand Rapids, MI "… Pastor Marvin Williams says, 'He(Fochtman) was a bit unsure. Not so sure about that because he didn't want the church money to be invested in something like that.' But, Pastor Williams says the church didn't want the videos to end up in someone else's hands. 'We're taking a stand. As a faith community. We've seen how destructive it can be.'…" http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=84952 ADA comments: How encouraging to see such a positive step taken, both by a video store owner, as well as by a church, in the fight against the damaging impact of pornography. Too often, churches don't want to touch the issue of pornography with a ten-foot pole. However, addiction to pornography is a life degrading, life destroying concern for many within the church. Christ gave very serious warnings about lust. And pornography is a satanic tool of lust, destroying individuals, marriages, and families. May more churches take bold stands against pornography – bringing awareness to the problem, fighting it's influence within the culture, and ministering to those damaged by its impact. Preaching: "pursue holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." [Hebrews 12:14] American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 https://americandecency.org

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