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Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Grapevine decides not to issue permits for Fellowship Church’s WILD series
Pastor Ed Young had wanted to incorporated elephants and other animals in the series.
Ed Young holds a lamb.
Humane Society of Flower Mound representatives praised the city of Grapevine today for its decision not to issue permits to a local church wishing to exhibit dangerous wild animals as part of its services.
“We are thrilled with the city’s decision,” said HSFM President Linda Norman. “Tarrant County and the city of Grapevine ban these animals for good reason and the current ordinance is insufficient to comply with the safety requirements under the Dangerous Wild Animal Act. HSFM looks forward to working with Grapevine to enact an ordinance that protects both its citizens and the animals.” The church had indicated that the series featuring wild animals will continue for 4-5 weeks and posts on their Facebook page suggested an elephant could be included.
“Although elephants are not banned under the Dangerous Wild Animal Act, the city ordinance does ban wild animals, which elephants are. They are among the most dangerous and abused of captive wild animals,” said Stacy Smith, vice president of Animal Advocacy for HSFM and the Dallas chapter president of the Texas Humane Legislation Network.
Information obtained by the Dallas Morning News on Tuesday suggested the owner of the lion used in a recent sermon by Fellowship Church Pastor Ed Young might be Randy Miller. Humane Society of Flower Mound volunteers who attended the service reviewed video footage of Miller and verified that it appears to be the same man they saw with the lion at the service.
Video obtained through an internet search also shows Miller performing a similar act at another church. Records obtained from Humane Society of the United States regarding the conditions at Miller’s 55-acre California ranch showed small enclosures and not the life of luxury portrayed by Fellowship Church in its statements.
Miller is a well-known animal trainer who has worked on the set of many movies and other events. In 2008, his cousin Stephan Miller, also an experienced wild animal trainer, was killed by a bear he was working with on Miller’s property in California. In 1997, one of Miller’s lions escaped and was seen by neighbors walking down a city street. “These incidents demonstrate all too clearly the dangerous nature of these animals, even in the most experienced hands and controlled circumstances -- much less at a public event where the animal is within a few feet of the audience,” Norman said.
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Arno21_99, anonymous:
So does the Humane Society stand at the doorsteps of the city zoos as well since they hold wild animals captive and on display as well or is this just because a church is trying to use creativity to present God's word to the people?
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lisaltx, anonymous:
Probably because they have a lion in a small cage instead of in an appropriate habitat. And while I think elephants are glorious creatures, they don't belong in suburbia. No one is persecuting Christians here, just trying to keep that idiot pastor from getting him or his congregation killed.
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chris_park, anonymous:
FYI, this story is a flat out lie. The city of grapevine has not denied anything to FC
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windsurfer567, anonymous:
This is not a church. It's more like "Six Flags Over Jesus" where the congregants worship the cult of personality surrounding a publicity-hungry "pastor" who will do anything to get in the news.
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:
windsurfer567, it looks like they accomplished their mission this time around
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dfwanimalrescue, anonymous:
Chris_Park, I don't usually like to respond to anonymous commenters who go around throwing out empty accusations, but in this case I'm making an exception. The story is not a "flat out lie". The Grapevine City Attorney has said they will not allow dangerous wild animals in the City, so they won't be issuing any permits to FC. To be clear, the article doesn't state that FC applied and was denied, only that, should they apply for the required permits, they won't get them. - Rebecca Poling, DFWAnimalRescue.com
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chris_park, anonymous:
Dfwanimalrescue - continue your lies. The city DID NOT HAVE A WILD ANIMAL PERMIT PROCESS. And now FC is helping the city create it. Please attend FC this weekend and you can fabricate another story about an animal that Grapevine has no problem with.
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richrod, anonymous:
dfwanimalrescue, it is a flat out lie Grapevine didn't deny any permits. in fact as stated my Chris the City did'nt even have a "Wild Animal Permit". With that said the media that helped pepetuate the lie really need to get a life and they really need to apologize to the church for making false allegations.
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techrepub, anonymous:
Do the animals get to ride to the church in the $8.5 million jet? Call me crazy, but I think the original Easter story is pretty amazing. I guess creating media attention and controversy is more important though. How many hungry children right here in Dallas could have been fed with the money used to transport this "movie star" lion? How many homes built? Silly minor details, when you can attract more people to shop at your bookstore. It's sad what this "church" has become.
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jamie6823, anonymous:
I want to know what all the AR nuts will do with their spare time after they "save" all the animals? Maybe get real jobs?
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kwalker9393, anonymous:
THIS ARTICLE IS A COMPLETE LIE!!!!! FELLOWSHIP CHURCH ASKED GRAPEVINE IF THERE WAS A NEED FOR A PERMIT BEFORE THE EASTER SERVICE AND NO SUCH PERMIT EXISTED!! NOW, AFTER ALL THE HUMANE HOOPLAH THEY ARE GOING TO CREATE A PERMIT. THEY WERE NEVER DENIED A PERMIT. SO SAD HOW THE MEDIA AND EVERYONE IN THIS ARTICLE COMPLETELY LIES!!!
BELOW IS FROM AN EMAIL MESSAGE FROM PASTOR ED YOUNG FROM FELLOWSHIP CHURCH:
-Fellowship Church has not been denied a permit. -We sought a permit, but no permit process existed. -We held our Easter experiences. -The next day the city of Grapevine, TX informed us the permit process was being created. -Given these facts, we were not denied a permit.
At Fellowship Church, we believe it is paramount to honor God as our heavenly authority and to respect our governmental authorities, both locally and nationally. Furthermore, as a church, we work diligently to ensure that any ministry activities are in compliance with the laws and parameters set forth by our civil government.
Prior to the first week of the series, and up through this morning, we have been in contact with city officials and have worked through every means necessary to maintain legal compliance throughout this series.
JUST REMEMBER - GOD IS TRUTH, THE WORLD IS NOT.
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Alex Bentley, staff:
It appears as if the majority of the people who are calling this story a lie are not even bothering to read it. In no way, shape, or form does Rebecca say that Fellowship Church was denied a permit prior to last Sunday's service. What she does say is that Grapevine will not allow them to bring wild animals to any future service.
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lisaltx, anonymous:
Sorry to disappoint you Alex, but they probably won't read yours either but will be happy to call you a liar.
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:
lisaltx, i think the problem with alex's comment is that IT NEEDS MORE CAPS. and some of these !!!! wouldn't hurt either
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dogsave, anonymous:
To be clear, the city of Grapevine said they would refuse to allow DANGEROUS wild animals, as defined under the Texas Dangerous Wild Animal Act, which does include animals such as lions. Grapevine's ordinance, available online, requires permission from the city to have any wild animal there. Ed Young told the Dallas Morning News that he called the city about a permit and no one called him back, so he went forward. If I want to build a house, and the city doesn't call me back about my permit, do I just get to go ahead and build it anyway? Ridiculous. And if he hasn't been denied permits now it's because he knew not to apply for anything like a bear or tiger, also owned by the same guy who brought the lion in. Who, by the way, violated several USDA rules that day including not having proper permits from local authorities.
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Jason Rice, verified:
I really do need to make and market these
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What do you think?