Church Easter commercial deemed as ’too controversial’ rejected by national movie theater chain and pulled from paid ad rotation.

By Dan Wooding

Founder of ASSIST Ministries

ALISO VIEJO, CA (ANS) -- At a time when movie theaters across the country are featuring blockbuster hits promoting murder, drugs, sex, corruption, and the like, is there anything ‘too controversial’ to be shown on the big screen? Compass Bible Church, in Aliso Viejo, California, found out first-hand that indeed, promoting Easter on the big screen proved to be too controversial.

This was reveled in a story released by PR Web (www.prweb.com) that went on to say that the 30-second ad produced by the church features short one-liners about what some conspiracy theorists believe may have happened to Jesus Christ some 2,000 years ago, and ends with ‘find out what we believe about the resurrection at Compass Bible Church’.

It wasn’t the conspiracy theories, or controversy with the actual spot that threw red flags for the theaters, but the fact that religious deity was promoted and the name of Jesus Christ was used, said the story. Using completely subjective terms, since there are no official written policies about such usage, the agency for the national theater remarked that their constituents might be offended by such an advertisement.

Mike Fabarez

“We were told we could promote our Easter services with a commercial that featured the date, time and place with some fun bunnies and eggs thrown in”, said Pastor Mike Fabarez, Senior Pastor, Compass Bible Church “But for us, Easter isn’t about springtime fun, it’s the most important day in Christian history, and we won’t water that message down. It’s unfortunate that what our country was founded on has now become ‘too controversial’.”

Compass Bible Church was promoting their Easter At The Bren services, an annual event that hosts over 5,000 attendees at the Bren Center on the campus of UC Irvine, on Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011.

Compass Bible Church Easter video can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTQTvLmOHtY

About Compass Bible Church

Compass Bible Church, founded in 2005, is located in Aliso Viejo, California. The mission of Compass Bible Church is based on the “Great Commission” of Christ recorded in Matthew 28 where Jesus calls every church, including CBC, to “make disciples.” It has greatly impacted the local community with annual outreach events such as Fall Fest and Eggstravaganza, and provides weekly ministry opportunities for people to get deeply involved in knowing, loving, and serving Jesus Christ. It's website it: http://www.compasschurch.org/

For more information, contact

Linda Kavadoy

Compass Bible Church

949-540-0699

Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 47 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 200 countries. You can follow Dan on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.

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