Scum of the Earth Church
Encyclopedia
Scum of the Earth Church (SOTEC or Scum) is an evangelical
, non-denominational Christian church
located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado
. The name, which is intended to reach the outcast, comes from a Bible passage: 1 Corinthians 4:11 13. A member of Alliance for Renewal Churches, SOTEC has a sister church in Seattle
and previously, the now defunct The Refuse, which met in Colorado Springs
.
at Corona Presbyterian Church and attended/co-led by members of the band Five Iron Frenzy
. After Sares was asked to leave his pastoring job for reasons of church politics, the Bible study moved its meetings into his home. It was here that they began to discuss the starting of their own church: a church for the "left out" in society and those who were rejected or felt unwelcome in most traditional churches. The first organized meeting was held at the Prodigal House in February 2000. After overcrowding became an issue, the church moved to a new building shared with a local Denver ministry, Tollgate. Continued growth and tenant issues lead the church to move to its third location at the now demolished Church in the City on the corner of Colfax
and Josephine in downtown Denver.
In September 2008 SOTEC purchased their first and only currently owned building between Santa Fe blvd. and Kalamath on 11th street in Denver, CO. Due to issues regarding zoning categorization from Historical Building to Residential and back to a religious institution, a number of building code violations were discovered in 2010. The church was unable to have meetings there as a result. SOTEC currently meets at His Love Fellowship at 9th Ave. and Kalamath, just blocks from their building. The congregation has been in an extended fund-raising campaign since the code violations were found in order to make the necessary changes to the 100-year old structure which lost its historical grandfathering. According to leadership, they seek to preserve as best as possible the artistic influences of the previous owner, a well-respected Denver artist.
Over the years, guest speakers have included: pastor Jay Bakker
of Revolution Church, singer/songwriter Randy Stonehill
, former pastor Trevor Bron of The Next Level (TNL) church, author/professors Craig Blomberg
and Douglas Groothuis
of Denver Seminary
, and Bob Beltz of Walden Media
.
and the band's Pastor they spent a large amount of time trying to come up with a name appropriate to what the church's mission would be. After much deliberation the vast majority of involved attendees had decided upon Scum of the Earth. However, Mike Sares
cautioned against the name and warned of the controversy that would ensue from both inside and outside of the Christian community at large. He ultimately agreed to the name under pressure from the group and notably Reese Roper
. Historically the name has indeed been subject to much scrutiny for the church, in both positive and negative ways according to leadership including Sares and Roper.
The name is taken directly from a passage in the Bible.
events.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
, non-denominational Christian church
Local church
A local church is a Christian congregation of members and clergy.Local church may also refer to:* Local churches , a Christian group based on the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and associated with the Living Stream Ministry publishing house.* Parish church, a local church united with...
located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. The name, which is intended to reach the outcast, comes from a Bible passage: 1 Corinthians 4:11 13. A member of Alliance for Renewal Churches, SOTEC has a sister church in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and previously, the now defunct The Refuse, which met in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
.
History
SOTEC grew out of a Tuesday night Bible study led by Pastor Mike SaresMike Sares
Mike Sares is an American Pastor, author, and religious speaker. He co-founded Scum of the Earth Church in Denver, CO alongside Reese Roper and fellow bandmates of Five Iron Frenzy...
at Corona Presbyterian Church and attended/co-led by members of the band Five Iron Frenzy
Five Iron Frenzy
Five Iron Frenzy is a Christian ska band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1995 and disbanded in 2003. The band announced they were recording new material on November 22, 2011....
. After Sares was asked to leave his pastoring job for reasons of church politics, the Bible study moved its meetings into his home. It was here that they began to discuss the starting of their own church: a church for the "left out" in society and those who were rejected or felt unwelcome in most traditional churches. The first organized meeting was held at the Prodigal House in February 2000. After overcrowding became an issue, the church moved to a new building shared with a local Denver ministry, Tollgate. Continued growth and tenant issues lead the church to move to its third location at the now demolished Church in the City on the corner of Colfax
Colfax Avenue
Colfax Avenue is the main street that runs east–west through the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area in Colorado. As U.S. Highway 40, it was one of two principal highways serving Denver before the Interstate Highway System was constructed. In the local street system, it lies 15 blocks north of the zero...
and Josephine in downtown Denver.
In September 2008 SOTEC purchased their first and only currently owned building between Santa Fe blvd. and Kalamath on 11th street in Denver, CO. Due to issues regarding zoning categorization from Historical Building to Residential and back to a religious institution, a number of building code violations were discovered in 2010. The church was unable to have meetings there as a result. SOTEC currently meets at His Love Fellowship at 9th Ave. and Kalamath, just blocks from their building. The congregation has been in an extended fund-raising campaign since the code violations were found in order to make the necessary changes to the 100-year old structure which lost its historical grandfathering. According to leadership, they seek to preserve as best as possible the artistic influences of the previous owner, a well-respected Denver artist.
Over the years, guest speakers have included: pastor Jay Bakker
Jay Bakker
Jamie Charles Bakker is an American Christian pastor and the son of Jim Bakker and the late Tammy Faye Bakker Messner. He ministers to Revolution Church, a church he founded in 1994 in Phoenix, Arizona with Kelli Miller and Mike Wall...
of Revolution Church, singer/songwriter Randy Stonehill
Randy Stonehill
Randall Evan "Randy" Stonehill is an American singer-songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the so-called "fathers of contemporary Christian music". His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but he has assayed other styles, with various albums focused on...
, former pastor Trevor Bron of The Next Level (TNL) church, author/professors Craig Blomberg
Craig Blomberg
Craig L. Blomberg is an American New Testament scholar. Since 1986 he has been Distinguished Professor of the New Testament at Denver Seminary in Colorado.-Life:...
and Douglas Groothuis
Douglas Groothuis
Douglas R. Groothuis is currently Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary.Groothuis was a campus pastor for twelve years prior to obtaining a position as an associate professor of philosophy of religion and ethics at Denver Seminary in 1993. He was educated at the University of...
of Denver Seminary
Denver Seminary
Denver Seminary is an accredited, graduate-level institution in Littleton, Colorado. It offers a wide range of degrees not typically associated with other accredited seminaries. It is also known for its emphasis on training and mentoring as integral to seminary education...
, and Bob Beltz of Walden Media
Walden Media
Walden Media is a children's film production and publishing company best known as the producers of The Chronicles of Narnia series. Its films are based on notable classic or award-winning children's literature, compelling biographies or historical events, documentaries and some original...
.
The Name
When the church was still a small bible study involving mostly Five Iron FrenzyFive Iron Frenzy
Five Iron Frenzy is a Christian ska band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1995 and disbanded in 2003. The band announced they were recording new material on November 22, 2011....
and the band's Pastor they spent a large amount of time trying to come up with a name appropriate to what the church's mission would be. After much deliberation the vast majority of involved attendees had decided upon Scum of the Earth. However, Mike Sares
Mike Sares
Mike Sares is an American Pastor, author, and religious speaker. He co-founded Scum of the Earth Church in Denver, CO alongside Reese Roper and fellow bandmates of Five Iron Frenzy...
cautioned against the name and warned of the controversy that would ensue from both inside and outside of the Christian community at large. He ultimately agreed to the name under pressure from the group and notably Reese Roper
Reese Roper
Michael Reese Roper is an independent filmmaker and the former lead singer and chief song writer of the third-wave ska band Five Iron Frenzy. After Five Iron Frenzy disbanded in 2003, Reese released a single album using the moniker Roper. He is also part of the band Brave Saint Saturn, who released...
. Historically the name has indeed been subject to much scrutiny for the church, in both positive and negative ways according to leadership including Sares and Roper.
The name is taken directly from a passage in the Bible.
- 1 Corinthians 4:11-13:
- "To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated,
- we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when
- we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this
- moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world." [NIV]
Mission Statement
Scum Seattle
Scum of the Earth Seattle is a sister church founded by John Swanger and his wife Raylene Swanger. After years of running a homeless ministry in Denver and having been a regular attendee at the church, John and Raylene moved to Seattle to plant a similarly-intended church. On August 3, 2003 Scum of the Earth Church Seattle was formed with John as the head pastor. Zach McCauley began attending the church a few years later. John claimed he knew that when Zach walked through the door, that he was the one who would ultimately lead the church forward as a separate entity from Scum Denver. In 2009 Zach McCauley became the head pastor of Scum Seattle, and John and Raylene moved back to Denver to pursue their homeless ministry further. Scum Seattle currently rents a space next to a comic shop in Seattle, WA, and is host to their Friday Night MagicFriday Night Magic
Friday Night Magic is a format of Magic: The Gathering tournaments, held on Friday nights in gaming stores and associations all across the world...
events.