"These guys are like guerrilla marketers, they recognized right away that a controversial relationship would spark interest in the media," he said. "They saw it as I saw it."
To Foster and Gross, their relationship with DiGiorgio, like their attendance at pornography events, gives them leverage to address the people scared away by church. "If Jesus were around today," Gross said, "he would be at porn shows. But most Christians would rather preach to Jimmy D, and if he doesn't accept Christ, move on to the next person. And you might reach more people, but Jesus worked with 12 people."
In the mall parking lot, Lana Olsen, 54, said she did not appreciate the shock tactics. "To me that is crossing the line," she said of the car. "I decided this was a porn person trying to make fun of the church. My son, an atheist, would think that's the enemy's greatest tool."
But Andy Allman, 19, who worked in the mall Starbucks, liked the car. "You guys are anti-porn, right?" he asked. When Gross explained that they were pastors, Allman, was interested. "Really?" he said. "Because I've been looking for a church. Can you recommend one?"
RSS