Shenandoah Valley Friends
Reprinted from: 
Friday, April 17, 1998
Internet Bomb Threat Aimed at MCC in Texas
by M. Jane Taylor
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| The Cathedral of Hope MCC of Dallas, which last year surpassed 2,000 members and is larger than 99.5% of all churches in the United States, has raised $9 million of the $20-25 million necessary to build the first cathedral of the 21st Century (as shown here in architect's model). |
DALLAS - The Cathedral of Hope Metropolitan Community Church, the world's largest predominately Gay congregation, was the target of a bomb threat posted on the Internet on March 25.
The threat was posted on a religion forum on the Dallas Morning News' Web site, where there had been a number of derogatory postings about the church. An e-mail message that arrived at 8:17 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, described the author's intention to bomb the Cathedral of Hope during the 9 a.m. service on Sunday, March 29.
The posting, which a church spokesperson said seemed to be a hoax, left a false phone number for others who might want to assist the bomber's efforts.
Lisa Carver, a spokesperson for the Cathedral of Hope, said the church, local authorities, and the FBI have taken this threat seriously in light of bombings in Atlanta last year at an abortion clinic and a Lesbian night club, and a Jan. 29 bombing at a women's clinic in Birmingham, Ala. Church services have proceeded as scheduled, however, although attendance was lower than usual after the church released news of the bomb threat to local news organizations.
"We've taken some precautions in securing the property because we know that this won't be the only incident, because of our visibility" as a Gay church, Carver told the Blade.
Carver said authorities closed the investigation into the threat after they were unable to trace the posting.
Copyright © 1998 The Washington Blade Inc. A member of the gay.net community.