Praying coastal Christians picket new adult store

    NEWPORT — Another small Oregon city has a new and not entirely welcome resident – an adult video store – and again concerned Christians are speaking out in response.
     About 70 people, representing 11 churches around Lincoln County, attended a rally in late January as part of an effort to organize opposition to the Spice Adult Video store at 611 S.W. Coast Highway in Newport.
     The Christians’ ongoing prayer and protest campaign is called Operation Myrrh — named after the burial spice.
    Spice Adult Video, which opened in late December, is owned by Greg Tyree of Salbend, Inc., who operates a business by the same name in Salem.    

    According to the Newport News-Times newspaper, Tyree last May purchased the site, a former tire store, through a corporation known as Orco Investments.
     Tyree told the Newport newspaper last year that he has been in business for more than 30 years throughout the Northwest. `
     Under Newport’s city ordinance, adult stores are allowed as an outright use under current commercial zoning for the site.
     At a City Council meeting in December, Doug Smith, organizer of the Christian campaign and a member of Newport Church of the Nazarene, said the adult store would be a “blight on our town” and would give a negative image to Newport.
     City officials responded that under the state’s liberal free speech laws, they are very limited in what they can do.
     At the January rally, Smith shared his testimony of how God saved him from an addiction to pornography. He said it is an addiction that harms children, families, businesses and entire communities. He emphasized that it was only by God’s grace that he was at the rally instead of shopping at Spice Video.
     Smith also shared information from the Mississippi-based American Family Association about a Godly approach to picketing. Outlining several safety tips and ways to avoid confrontations, he urged participants to act in a manner that would not give Operation Myrrh, the churches nor Jesus “a black eye.”
     Pastor Dean Freeze of Toledo First Baptist Church spoke about his experiences as a pastor involved in a similar effort in Oregon City several years ago. He emphasized the need for prayer above all the other efforts. The churches’ commitment to pray fervently, he said, was the primary reason for success in closing down a pornographic video store in Oregon City.
     The Christians’ success in Oregon City was cited by believers in The Dalles two years ago when an adult store opened in that community and they responded with picketing and prayer rallies. However, that store remains open today (see story at right).
     At the Newport rally, Pastor Bill Grigory of Newport Church of the Nazarene, stated his commitment to pray and continue preaching on the subject of purity. Several pastors prayed in closing over the assembly for God’s blessing on the effort.
      About 50 of those who attended the rally then met in front of Spice Video with signs to protest for about an hour and a half. Coordinators from several local churches plan to start a 24-hour chain of prayer for the owners, employees and customers of Spice Adult Video and also to continue the onsite outreach.
      For more information on the Lincoln County effort, contact Smith at myrrh@newportnaz.org.