Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune is clear on where she stands with the gay community. While running for office, Bethune told the media that diversity, inclusion and equality are about whether a small child wants to be a male or female. The Myrtle Beach Mayor champions transgendering minor children as can be heard in the video below.
However after recent news controversies stemming from a post by the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance surfaced this week, Bethune has curiously gone silent.
Prior to promoting Ground Zero on the social media of the taxpayer-funded Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance, city officials denied knowing of Ground Zero’s anti-LGBTQ views. This, despite the fact that these views were publicly stated by Ground Zero from the group’s first day of operations.
In addition to $1 a year rent, Ground Zero receives free services from the city for its annual Dragon Boat Festival.
Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance’s Facebook and Instagram pages were updated with a post about Ground Zero on Aug. 12. According to the post, “Ground Zero is a place where every teenager can belong and grow.” Over a week after the post was brought to the attention of the Downtown Alliance, it is still visible on social media today.
Its mission is to “transform teenagers’ lives through Jesus Christ,” but it publicly shares biblical views on homosexuality.
Stephanie Sebring, Ground Zero’s advancement director, says the ministry sees about 125 middle and high school students every week.
In the Biblical Positions section of Ground Zero’s website, there are statements and Bible verses against homosexuality and gay marriage: “We believe marriage is between one man and one woman” and “We believe Christ-followers are called to abstain from sexual relationships or marriages with members of the same sex.”
According to other entries in that section, Ground Zero believes that sex is only for marriage and life begins at conception.
According to the Wayback Machine, the organization’s website has included language against gay marriage and homosexuality since at least August 2015.
The organization has students who identify as gay or lesbian, but no homosexual staff members, Sebring said in an Aug. 16 phone interview.
Despite welcoming all teenagers, regardless of their sexual orientation, to Ground Zero, Sebring hopes to share the gospel with the LGBTQ community.
Having gay or lesbian teens participate under conditions of celibacy does not make them fully included, LGBTQ advocates said.
The best way to welcome LGBTQ people is to affirm their lives, said Craig McGee, director of Pride Myrtle Beach on Aug. 22.
A volunteer with Grand Strand Pride, Adam Hayes, chair of the Human Rights Commission, said Aug. 22, “I would never go there as a LGBTQ+ teen.”
“It is very disheartening to have public tax dollars go to something that does not love people for who they are.”
As a member of the LGBTQ community and owner of Lucid Coast Candle Bar in downtown Myrtle Beach, Chase Masters found the social media feature frustrating. On Aug. 16, at his “pop and pop” shop, Masters said after the city’s new DEI office, “It seemed like we were heading in the right direction.”
After learning of Downtown Alliance’s anti-LGBTQ stance, the group dragged its feet
During a phone interview on Aug. 15, Downtown Alliance CEO Jason Greene claims he wasn’t aware of Ground Zero’s homophobic views. His primary responsibility is to decide which organizations to feature on the Downtown Alliance’s social media, which is handled by Element Marketing Company based in Myrtle Beach. It is estimated that the Downtown Alliance will pay Element Marketing Company $37,000 for social media management and a new website over the next six months.
Greene said he would discuss the post with the Downtown Alliance’s board of directors. The board meets Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance strives to promote equity and inclusivity in the downtown…We are interested in promoting everyone who serves the community in downtown,” Greene said.
When promoting the ministry on Facebook, the term “we” is used.
“I don’t think [Downtown Alliance] or the city knew about the extended text on Ground Zero’s website that staked out religious preferences,” wrote city spokesperson Mark Kruea on Aug. 16.
How the city could not know is a mystery, as the group has been clear since its inception.
The MBDA is a city funded redevelopment initiative. As part of the Downtown Alliance’s $1.5 million budget for 2024, $1.2 million will come from the City of Myrtle Beach in taxpayer dollars.
Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune serves on the Downtown Alliance board. When contacted directly by the local newspaper, Bethune repeatedly referred questions to the Downtown Alliance and Ground Zero.
In a political turn about, Bethune personally has no comment and has gone completely silent on this issue.
A religious organization, Ground Zero, has received financial benefits from the City of Myrtle Beach for over a decade, including $1 a year rent and free city services.
Ground Zero renovated the historic Rivoli Theatre and opened their doors in downtown Myrtle Beach in 2014 after a 20-year lease with the city.
According to a lease agreement the City Council approved Ground Zero’s $1 lease of the crumbling Rivoli Theatre in June 2011, which the ministry was to renovate. Only Ground Zero and the Myrtle Beach Art Museum have the $1 a year lease agreement, Kruea wrote in an email Aug. 21.
In 1998, Scott Payseur started Ground Zero in northeastern Tennessee. In the mid-2000s, Payseur moved the youth ministry to Myrtle Beach, where he had previously worked. Payseur was not available for an interview at the time of publication.
On April 25, 2014, that the organization completed $1.5 million worth of renovations and repairs. Payseur said the majority of the work was done by volunteers and donated materials.
The City of Myrtle Beach has approved its co-sponsorship of the 2020 Dragon Boat Festival, Ground Zero’s largest fundraiser. The city waived the $4,500 stage and park rental fees.
WHERE IS THE CHURCH COMMUNITY?
The LGBTQ community has been very outspoken about these issues? Questions continue to mount concerning why the church community in Myrtle Beach is so silent on this issue.
Several denominations located in the city limits openly ordain gay ministers. Why haven’t those churches voiced an opinion?
MyrtleBeachSC News pointed out in our initial article on this controversy that in 2023 the gay community is better at making disciples than the church.
The church is now viewed as a building or an institution, rather than a movement of disciples who make disciples that make disciples.
We also pointed out that the Church body prefers to operate under the authority of government, rather than submit and walk in high authority under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:19 through 5:22 contrasts a world view versus a God surrendered view of life. The text speaks about this Holy Spirit authority which appears lost on the Myrtle Beach church community in 2023.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law [worldly government authority].
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with [be surrendered to] the Spirit.
For the church to retake its place in any community will require the “death of self rule” by every person in the church body. One thing today’s church may be missing is the reality that GOD wants to rule in the church and rule in each member of the church. That means giving him total control.
Our experience in Myrtle Beach has been that few members of the church are willing to give up that much control.
The process begins with worship. Worship of God always leads to surrender.