New Horizons Review.
Republished with permission -
December 2005 - NEW HORIZONS (Denominational magazine of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church). Shaky Town by Colin and Euan Gunn. Reviewed by David K. Thompson, President of the Committee of the Historian.
During the 1980s, even as the Reagan revolution gripped the nation and traditional conservatism began to reemerge, a new radicalism appeared on the horizon. San Francisco’s entrenched homosexual community moved to the fore. Initially they expressed only a desire to be left alone, but their agenda evolved into a demand that everyone celebrate and affirm the gay lifestyle. Tactics became increasingly aggressive, and the city of tolerance became increasingly intolerant of those unwilling to legitimize homosexuality – and thus the modern gay rights movement was born.
Shaky Town, a new DVD directed by the Gunn Brothers, documents this birth and undertakes to review from an evangelical perspective the radicalization of the homosexual political movement in San Francisco from the 1980s onward. Standing against this powerful tide were conservative evangelicals of all stripes. Mixing firsthand accounts of Christian leaders with actual footage of events, the movie chronicles the homosexual movement’s increasing extremism: “abuses of political office, hijacking of school board meetings, mob rioting [in front of] a worshiping church, and death threats towards a pastor’s family.” Prominent in the story is the role of First OPC and Pastor Charles McIlhenny and his wife, Donna. Shaky Town retells the legal battle over the fired homosexual organist, First OPC’s victory in court, and the reaction of radicals to the McIlhenny’s courageous stand for righteousness. In a particularly poignant vignette, Mrs. McIlhenny describes their life during the darkest years – “harassment, vandalism, threats on our lives.” She has saved a shard of charred glass from the manse’s master bedroom window, through which a firebomb was thrown. “The intent was to kill.”
Shaky Town has value for the church today. It not only serves as a candid reminder of the present evil age in which we find ourselves, but also provides a firsthand look at the suffering that is ours in this world when we stand for Christ. Again, Mrs. McIlhenny’s words are especially potent: “It’s been a challenging life...I began to learn the fear of God. I’m terrified of denying Christ, because Christ is the one who’s kept us. At the same time, there’s been a gloriousness, but it’s been very hard.”
December 2005 - NEW HORIZONS (Denominational magazine of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church). Shaky Town by Colin and Euan Gunn. Reviewed by David K. Thompson, President of the Committee of the Historian.
During the 1980s, even as the Reagan revolution gripped the nation and traditional conservatism began to reemerge, a new radicalism appeared on the horizon. San Francisco’s entrenched homosexual community moved to the fore. Initially they expressed only a desire to be left alone, but their agenda evolved into a demand that everyone celebrate and affirm the gay lifestyle. Tactics became increasingly aggressive, and the city of tolerance became increasingly intolerant of those unwilling to legitimize homosexuality – and thus the modern gay rights movement was born.
Shaky Town, a new DVD directed by the Gunn Brothers, documents this birth and undertakes to review from an evangelical perspective the radicalization of the homosexual political movement in San Francisco from the 1980s onward. Standing against this powerful tide were conservative evangelicals of all stripes. Mixing firsthand accounts of Christian leaders with actual footage of events, the movie chronicles the homosexual movement’s increasing extremism: “abuses of political office, hijacking of school board meetings, mob rioting [in front of] a worshiping church, and death threats towards a pastor’s family.” Prominent in the story is the role of First OPC and Pastor Charles McIlhenny and his wife, Donna. Shaky Town retells the legal battle over the fired homosexual organist, First OPC’s victory in court, and the reaction of radicals to the McIlhenny’s courageous stand for righteousness. In a particularly poignant vignette, Mrs. McIlhenny describes their life during the darkest years – “harassment, vandalism, threats on our lives.” She has saved a shard of charred glass from the manse’s master bedroom window, through which a firebomb was thrown. “The intent was to kill.”
Shaky Town has value for the church today. It not only serves as a candid reminder of the present evil age in which we find ourselves, but also provides a firsthand look at the suffering that is ours in this world when we stand for Christ. Again, Mrs. McIlhenny’s words are especially potent: “It’s been a challenging life...I began to learn the fear of God. I’m terrified of denying Christ, because Christ is the one who’s kept us. At the same time, there’s been a gloriousness, but it’s been very hard.”
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