Trinity United Church of Christ is under fire not only for the sermons of its pastor but for its publications.
Critics have singled out a Los Angeles Times column that was reprinted in the pastor’s page of the church bulletin in July under the headline “A Fresh View of the Palestinian Struggle.” In the column, Mousa Abu Marzook, deputy of Hamas’ political bureau, defended the group’s denial that Israel has a right to exist until it apologizes for its treatment of Palestinians.
Rev. Martin Marty, a retired professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School, said the church’s bulletins are much more than a mouthpiece for political statements.
Running to 30 pages, they are a comprehensive blueprint for Trinity’s ministry, whose contents range from prayers and Bible passages to calendars and contact information for members who are sick or in hospice. One church member said Trinity does not endorse all published articles, which are intended to provoke thought.
Trumpet NewsMagazine, a national publication that originated in the church and is published by Jeri Wright, the pastor’s daughter, has been criticized for featuring Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
