SC Church Sign Advertises 'Playing With Poop'

Pastor Says He Hopes Poopy Language Stirs Up Dialogue

POSTED: 2:28 pm EDT April 19, 2011
UPDATED: 2:54 pm EDT April 19, 2011

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• Images: Church Displays 'Playing With Poop' Sign

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- A Greenville, S.C., pastor says signs in front of his church that talk about "poop" are designed to stir up dialogue and to make people laugh, but not everyone sees the humor.Recently, one sign at Trinity Community Church in Greenville said, “Everybody poops.”The sign this week says, “Playing with poop.”Pastor Richard Bowers says it's all just a humorous marketing approach for his church."The church needs to be there to help people laugh."Bowers said his poop campaign is based on the fact that “everyone poops and everyone sins.”Bowers, who has been pastor for seven years, says, "We kind of dig out the things people can relate to."He says he's trying to “generate discussion," and that’s definitely what it’s doing, though not all of it positive.Bill Quinton and his wife, Anne, frequently cycle by the church building."I rode by, I looked back,” Quinton said. “In fact, I even asked my wife about it. I said, 'Did that say poop?’”"I thought it was some kind of joke. I thought somebody else had put the sign up. I was very surprised to see it."Bowers said, "I've had members who have texted me or called me and said, 'What's up with the sign? I've got people at work asking me and I don't know what to tell them.'”Bowers describes most of his church’s members as new Christians, and he said getting them into a routine of attending church and sitting for a 30-minute sermon can be a challenge."We only want to bring recognition to our Lord,” Bowers said. “And to do that, we want to start the conversations. And to be able to start the conversations, you've got to be able to find common ground, and humor is one of the best things."To make sure that the congregation doesn’t forget the message, Bowers has been sending church members home with a little reminder.Bowers laughed and said, "We gave out a roll of toilet paper, because, you know, the paper work has got to be done, right?”But his approach isn’t sitting well with everyone. WXII sister station WYFF has received some emails questioning the wording on the signs, and some neighbors have voiced complaints."I don't think it's in keeping with any type of religion that I know of. I know there are a lot of different religions, but I don't know of any that would condone something like that," Quinton said.Bowers is still hoping the dirty truth and some humor will draw more people into the dialogue and into the pews in his church.