You wouldn't think Wrestling and Church would mix

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

From the Toronto Star www.thestar.com

 

Wrestling in a tag-team with Jesus

Pastor mixes pyrotechnics, evangelism to reach youth

Event features former WWF stars, reports Melissa Leong

 

 

MELISSA LEONG

STAFF REPORTER

 

Inside the Community Pentecostal Church, Craig Canning faces the empty sanctuary.

 

He stands at the altar, gestures with his arms and says — this is where the wrestling ring will be.

 

"Right in the middle of the platform," he says. "What has the church come to?"

 

He chuckles. The 40-year-old special event co-ordinator and evangelist for the Oshawa church is organizing an event with former professional wrestlers, pyrotechnics and fog machines.The platform will be decorated with twisted metal fencing, like "something out of a Terminator movie," Canning says. The platform now has a podium with a grand piano, saxophone, guitar and bongos.

 

The stars include "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, who's also a minister, the Road Warriors, Buff Bagwell, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and, of course, Jesus Christ. The Oct. 3 event will include a dramatization of the Crucifixion, Canning says.

 

Are they nailing a wrestler to the cross? How does it fit in with the match? You'll just have to wait and see, he says.

 

"Jesus said to go out and compel them to come in. We're trying to think outside the box. ... We have to be creative to reach the segment of society that the church should be reaching."

 

It's the first time a wrestling event will be held in a Canadian church, he says. The event is co-sponsored by former Toronto Argonaut Brian Warren's non-profit charity, Connect. Canning and Warren got the idea from watching a similar event in Phoenix.

 

DiBiase, a former star in the World Wrestling Federation (now called the WWE), says spectators can expect "old school wrestling."

 

"Wrestling has always been the battle between good and evil. In wrestling today, that story isn't told. Now it's trash, it's vulgar and it's demeaning to women," DiBiase says.

 

"When Jesus called his disciples, he told them, `I'm going to make you fishers of men.' Any good fisherman has bait. We use wrestling as a form of bait to catch the fish and reel them in to hear the gospel."

 

They want to catch a lot of youth who are moving away from religion, Canning says.

 

"Young people are naturally migrating to something that's more creative, more adventurous. Young people are about life and if they can't find life in the church, they're going to find it elsewhere."

 

"It'll be awesome wrestling but powerful drama," he says. "The greatest battle isn't in the wrestling ring. It's the things they face every day — drugs, perversion, sin. ... The greatest fight will be for their souls."

 

In addition to the body slams, piledrivers and face claws, the wrestlers will also talk about how they tackle life with religion.

 

"Wrestlers tend to be known as unorthodox but what makes it so orthodox is that these wrestlers have given their lives to Jesus Christ," says senior pastor Doug Schneider.Other Durham churches are promoting the event. Canning created a Matrix-themed video ad to show his own congregation. The clip shows movie character Morpheus talking: "This is a war. And we are soldiers. ... What if tomorrow, the war could be over? Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for?"

 

"He probably won't be here," Canning laughs, pointing to the video as he sits in his office clad in black jeans and a plaid shirt over a white T-shirt. The screen flashes images of wrestlers and Christ on the cross.

 

The church also printed glossy flyers and posters promoting the "Main Event," with the Road Warriors in face paint and red body armour studded with black spikes.

 

Tickets are $18 at the door. The church's sanctuary seats 3,000 people and the event will be simulcast on three big screens behind the platform.

 

Ed Wright, 83, says he could have never imagined that his church, which he helped start in 1952 in a school bus with 25 people, would have grown to 1,000 people in a 77,000-square-foot facility.

 

After two years of renovations, the congregation held its first service in its new surroundings last weekend. They used the old sanctuary until the $10 million expansion was complete. The renovations added 58,000 square feet to include a new sanctuary and a foyer with a café. The lights go on in the foyer with a thump — like a fist on a drum. About 20 round glass tables are set up with elegant black chairs.

 

And Wright doesn't mind that his church now serves coffee and nachos and cheese and will host wrestling. "They're presenting the gospel in a different way and the kids love it," he says.

 

Brad Christiansen, a 17-year-old member of another Oshawa church, says all his friends know about the event already.

 

"I've been telling them: `Man, these wrestlers are going to be at this church, you have to come check this out.' `What? For real?'"

 

Canning says future plans include bringing in Nascar racers who will talk about their experiences. They'll put a race car right on the platform, he says. (There's a loading dock behind it.)

 

DiBiase says he hopes this will open the door to more similar events in Canada. "When I bring these wrestlers to Oshawa, yes, the people are going to be entertained; but, they're going to be challenged to consider Jesus Christ."

 

Wrestling at Church..hmm. Its a Canadian Church, but still thats just plain wierd.

[Guest Boo_Bradley]

We used to wrestle in the church yard and basemenbt all the time as kids

[yankovic fan 0]

Never imagined Buff Bagwell to be the holy type.

[King Kamala 0]

I think Bagwell with a wig could be playing Jesus.

 

 

Hell I've always wanted to see Bagwell crucified, even if it is fake.

[King Cucaracha 0]

Gotta love how he mixes in the bible quotes.

 

Good for them me says...although you've got to wonder how many of the 'older religious community' are gonna find ways to critisise this, find out ways to claim it's against the Bible, and generally miss the point.

 

 

And David Arquette should be Jesus, not 'Buff Daddy'...you know it makes sense.

[yankovic fan 0]

Actually I think as part of his time off, HHH is taking part in this and is playing the part of Jesus.

[Steviekick 0]

and Kevin Sullivan will be there to play the role of Satan.