http://www.whnt.com/Global/story.asp?S=6409985

Sojourn in the news… here is the report online…

April 22, 2007

NewsChannel 19’s Barry Hiett Reports:

The Old Towne Brewery in downtown Huntsville has been around for a long time. Workers there make beer.

They also worship at the brewery.

“Our dream has always been to be in a very non-traditional space and wanted to be right in the middle of downtown with all the revitalization that’s happening here in the city,” says David Thew, pastor of the Sojourn church.

His members don’t have their own building, so the Brewery’s owner lets them meet there. The services are held right next to vats of Pale Ale and Amber Bock.

It’s non-traditional to say the least.

“There’s a lot of folks that where they need to go is a great traditional church but there’s a lot of people who don’t have steeples or pews on their radar but they would come to hear about Christ in a brewery,” Thew says.

There, the dress is casual to dressy, whichever you prefer.

“Some churches here are more formal and there’s nothing wrong with that, but you know it’s very authentic,” says church visitor Rich Sturmfels. “People can come and be who they want to be here as far as how they’re dressed. We’re concerned with a person’s heart, not their outward appearance.”

And before you ask, no, they don’t drink beer.

“It certainly isn’t about the brewery. It’s about Christ, it’s got to be about the Bible, it’s got to be about authentic worship,” Sturmfels says.

Even if the place they worship is somewhere you would probably would never have imagined.

-Eric M.
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Eric M. (ericgmorgan.com)