Ken Hutcherson
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Ken Hutcherson (born July 14, 1952 in Anniston, Alabama) is a former National Football League (NFL) player who is now pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Kirkland, Washington since 1985. Hutcherson is best known for his opposition to gay rights.
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[edit] Gay Rights Opposition
As an African American, Ken Hutcherson strongly objects to suggestions that the current gay civil rights movement bears a resemblance with the African-American civil rights movement in the 1960s. An opinion piece by Hutcherson published in The Seattle Times on March 29, 2004, stated, "It has been said loudly and proudly that gay marriage is a civil rights issue. If that's the case, then gays would be the new African Americans. I'm here to tell you now, and hopefully for the last time, that the gay community is not the new African-American community."
That same spring, Hutcherson organized a "Mayday for Marriage" rally against marriage rights for lesbian and gay couples. The highly-publicised effort drew an estimated 20,000 supporters from around the Puget Sound region to Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington - a city otherwise known for being welcoming of gay culture. Later, in October of 2004, he organized another "Mayday for Marriage" rally in Washington, D.C. which attracted an estimated 140,000 participants.
In 2005, the Seattle weekly newspaper The Stranger reported that Reverend Hutcherson persuaded Microsoft to withdraw support for Washington H.B. 1515 - a bill that would have made it illegal to fire an employee due to their sexual orientation. [1] Hutcherson had reportedly told the Microsoft general counsel that 700 evangelical Microsoft employees attend his church, and all of them opposed the bill. He added that if Microsoft did not withdraw support of the bill, he would organize a national boycott of the software maker.
A few weeks later, after furious protests from Microsoft employees, the company re-reversed itself and pledged again to support future anti-discrimination legislation. When such legislation passed in 2006, Reverend Hutcherson again threatened a boycott, but no such organized effort emerged. However, on 27 January 2007, The Seattle Times reported that Hutcherson had allied with a network of churches tied to conservative evangelical Slavic communities in Washington State and California that have been active in anti-gay causes. The stated purpose of this alliance was to overturn the recently passed state law that banning discrimination based on sexual orientation.
[edit] Quotes
LEIGH SALES: Pastor Ken Hutcherson, who runs the Antioch Bible Church in Washington state, has seen an advance screening of the film. In order to generate favourable publicity, Gibson's company has invited select, mostly Christian audiences, to showings to ensure good word-of-mouth.
KEN HUTCHERSON: I think it's going to be controversial to those believers who don't want to admit the suffering that Christ had to go through to pay for our sins. I think it's going to be controversial to the whole view of the Jewish nation. The truth is that they did push to have Christ crucified. That's just plain truth... that's Biblical truth. [2]
[edit] Biography
Ken Hutcherson obtained a bachelors degree in education in 1974 from Alabama's Livingston University, where he had also played football from 1972 to 1974. Hutcherson later joined the NFL but left in 1977 due to a knee injury. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, and Seattle Seahawks.
Hutcherson conducted theological studies after ending his American football career at Cascade Bible College in Bellevue, Washington in 1979. After finishing his studies, he served eight years as director of high school ministries at Westminster Chapel in Bellevue. In 1984, he started Antioch Bible Church in Kirkland, Washington, along with Mark Webster and Dwight Englund. Hutcherson accepted the position of senior pastor in 1985 and was ordained in 1986.
He is quoted on his church's website as saying, "The greatest need today in the church - which does not seem to be important in the average church - is the training of people in evangelism, discipleship and the responsibility they have for the church and responsibility they have for God."
[edit] FBI Complaint
On March 21st, 2007 Seattle attorney Dave Coffman filed a complaint with the FBI asking them to investigate whether or not Pastor Hutcherson violated federal law by claiming to be a White House "special envoy" on a recent trip to Latvia. Hutcherson claims his work and trip were sanctioned by the Bush White House. The trip was the centerepiece of a four-day anti-gay "crisis conference" held in Latvia.
Hutcherson claims that the director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Jay Hein appointed him a "special envoy" for the Latvia trip, where he appeared with Scott Lively, an anti-gay religious right 'Holocaust revisionist' who claims that homosexuals were the cause of the Holocaust.
According to Eli Sanders of Seattle paper The Stranger, who spoke to an agent at the FBI, the agency does investigate claims that someone is allegedly representing themselves as speaking for the White House.
Hutcherson’s claims the full title bestowed upon him by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, was: Special Envoy for Adoptions, Family Values, Religious Freedom, and Medical Relief.
White House Spokeswoman Alyssa J. McLenning communicated to the newspaper that Hutcherson was never given any such title. McLenning wrote: "The White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives did not give Hutcherson the title, “Special Envoy for Adoptions, Family Values, Religious Freedom, and Medical Relief. The White House did not give Hutcherson any other titles and did not coordinate with Hutcherson on his recent trip to Latvia."
Hutcherson claims the White House is lying and told the Seattle Stranger that they should find Hein, who met with him at the White House and in Seattle. Hutcherson claims there is a video of Hein, Hutcherson, and Ladyaev on the White House lawn talking to a Latvian news reporter.
Hutcherson claims to have met with Hein at least twice in person about this partnership, once in January 2007 in Seattle, and once in February 2007 at the White House. Hutcherson said of the title and partnership relating to his work in Latvia, “In my meetings, I can represent as being with them [the Bush White House] and having the power I need to get things done.”
Hutcherson claims there is a video that was shot after a Feb. 8 2007 meeting at the White House between himself; Jay Hein, the director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives; and Pastor Alexei Ladyaev of Latvia’s New Generation Church.
Hutcherson said this White House meeting was the second of two meetings he had with Hein about his plans in Latvia. The first meeting, according to Hutcherson, took place in Seattle on January 18 during a conference on faith-based initiatives attended by Hein.
“That was when he made his first commitment to me and said it was a done deal,” Hutcherson told me. Hutcherson describes the “done deal” as “our partnership”. Hutcherson claims requested the first meeting with Hein because “I just wanted Faith-Based to give me the power to do what I needed to do” and that "the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives did just that". according to Hutcherson.
Hutcherson claims in the video from the second meeting (the one held on Feb. 8 in D.C.) the three men—Hutcherson, Hein, and Ladyaev—are standing on the White House lawn answering questions from a Latvian television reporter. Hutcherson claims the video will show that Hein met with him, knew of his new title, and approved of his mission to Latvia. Hutcherson told the Seattle Stranger newspaper "I’m gonna prove that I had those meetings, I’m gonna prove that I got that title behind me, and I’m gonna show you the video that says I was coming to Latvia and the purpose why."
[edit] Publications
- Hutcherson, Ken, "Here Comes the Bride : The Church: What We Are Meant to Be". 2000. ISBN 1-57673-359-9
- Hutcherson, Ken, "Before All Hell Breaks Loose : Preparing for the Coming Perilous Times". 2001. ISBN 1-57673-793-4
