Seattle coffee shop owner who had city event canceled by LGBTQ backlash defends his faith
Seattle-area coffee shop owner and pastor Keith Carpenter wants his critics to know he doesn't hate them; in fact, he'd love to meet them and chat over a cup of joe.
"I’d love for them to just get to know us instead of trying to shut our business down without even trying to know us," Carpenter told Fox News Digital.
Carpenter is pastor of Epic Life Church and owns three Pilgrim Coffee locations in Seattle, Washington. His newest coffee shop, in the Shoreline suburb, had barely opened before it faced online attacks due to his church's support for traditional Christian beliefs on marriage.
After the community learned that a "Coffee with a Cop" event would be held at Pilgrim's newest location, angry progressives flooded the Shoreline City Hall Facebook announcement with negative comments. "Coffee with a Cop" events are held in communities across the nation to strengthen relationships between local law enforcement and residents.
Commenters demanded the city pick another venue that wasn't "bigoted" or "homophobic" and vowed to hold a protest outside the shop. One comment even called for Pilgrim to leave Shoreline, saying that Carpenter's views on marriage did not align with the progressive city's ideals.
In response to the backlash, Shoreline abruptly canceled the event, saying it was not their intention "to make any community member feel unwelcome based on the selection of the event venue and the values that the venue may or may not hold." Shoreline added that they were committed to making their city "welcoming to all."
Carpenter was stunned by the city's response.
"They could have made it really easy and just said something like, ‘Hey, we decided to move the location,’ and then just let it be," he told Fox News Digital.
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Carpenter also found the city's response ironic, because it seemingly excluded his business due to his religious and political beliefs in the name of "inclusivity."
"If we really want to believe in an inclusive city, that would include all of us — not excluding 40% of the population who might have voted differently, or who attend a church, or hold different opinions about things," he continued.
"That's not inclusive. What we've discovered is we're the ones excluded, without anybody really talking to us," he added.
Carpenter said strangers online have attacked his character and spread "lies" about his church and business that he said couldn't be further from the truth.
"They're calling me a megachurch pastor, pocketing all the money myself and forcing my parishioners to work for free… I lead a church of 80 people," the pastor said.
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"It's just a whole bunch of character assassination online from people who have never met me, who have never asked me anything, and I've never sat down with. They just assume that I'm hateful," he added.
The pastor said he faced a similar incident last year when his business was abruptly shut out of its longtime partnership with a local elementary school, where he had invested "thousands of dollars and man hours," because a teacher complained his church wasn't "inclusive" enough.
Despite these experiences, Carpenter stressed that he holds "zero animosity or hate" towards those who've judged him or hold different beliefs than he does and just wants the chance for the community to get to know who he really is.
Carpenter said his church, Epic Life, welcomes people from all walks of life, including those who don't believe in God, or who are struggling with their gender identity or drug addiction.
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It serves the local community in several ways, including partnering with local organizations to provide free meals and coffee, and providing shelter for the homeless and addicted.
He planted Epic Life Church and one of Pilgrim's locations on Aurora Avenue North, an area infamous for prostitution, fentanyl overdoses and violent crime.
Carpenter said that when he and his wife moved to Seattle about 16 years ago, they were following a spiritual calling to bring "change and light" to this dark part of the city.
"We often bring women off the street who have nothing on after being raped and abused all night into our office and hold them. We see people in body bags, friends of ours who have overdosed in hotels," Carpenter said. "We're taking care of a spot where the city of Seattle has no idea how to really encounter this."
His church's mission is centered on living out John 10:10, which says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
"If we sat down without the mob around, we’d probably be friends," he said. "We really, truly believe that no matter where we've been or where we're heading, we're all pilgrims on a journey that is best shared with friends and maybe enemies over a cup of coffee."
A spokesperson for the City of Shoreline told Fox News Digital, "The City is committed to being a welcoming place for all people, no matter who they are or what they believe."
"The work of local government is mostly focused on the basics—it is potholes, sidewalks, and public safety. Coffee with a Cop is supposed to be a place where law enforcement can talk with residents about law enforcement in Shoreline. When the March 26 event got caught up in issues other than public safety, it could no longer serve its purpose and was canceled. Moving forward, we will only host these events at public facilities," the spokesperson added.