Reported By Margaret Kavanagh
MELBOURNE -- For the past five weeks, 300 members of the New Hope Church have been gathering in the auditorium of the Sherwood Elementary School.
They outgrew their old building located down the street and created an agreement with the Brevard Public School District to use its building on Sundays.
“All we are doing is preaching the Bible. It just so happens that sex is in the Bible,” said New Hope Pastor Bruce Cadle.
His latest series, called “Great Sex For You,” covers a wide range of topics, mostly how to keep a healthy relationship in your marriage and the importance of staying abstinent until marriage.
“We are not talking technique or anything offensive, we were just talking about the truth that makes a marriage strong,” Cadle said.
The church sent out 25,000 flyers to the community to let them know about the sex series.
“They said our ad was obnoxious, they said our use of sex was obnoxious,” Cadle said. “I hate that they have the perception.”
The church pays the school district $600 a week to use the building. Now the school is threatening to throw them out.
School leaders say they've gotten complaints and have a problem that the name of the school is on the advertisement. And they say it's not appropriate for kids.
“A man and a woman with their feet sticking out from under the sheets, that's all there was. Nothing above their feet and ankles. I'm just shocked in this day and age that anyone would be offended by that,” Cadle said.
“We are not trying to do anything to the school or with the school. It's for our church to grow,” said church members Monique and Tom Seamen.
School leaders are reportedly reviewing the lease agreement.
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