We have had quite a few Brothers right here in small town USA (Payson, AZ. Pop. 15,000) who have been told that, as a member of the Masonic Lodge, they were not welcome to worship in their "church."
This is quite common in many so-called "Christian" denominations. My wife and experienced many times over the last 40 years.
These denominations are as hurting for members as the Masonic Fraternity is.
Last year the non-denominational Christian Church we were attending where we and 35 members of both the Lodge and OES Chapter had been attending had to suffer politely through a sermon denouncing Masonry as and evil work of the Satan.
This minister, who previously had no problem with Masonry or OES went to some kind of Seminar where his head was filled with anti-Masonic BS.
Rather than check out all this mis-information himself, he chose to beleive and swallow it, hook, line and sinker.
This Church organization had an average Sunday attendence of 55, which is pretty good considering the average attendence in most churches in the area on a given Sunday is 40.
They rented the 7th Day Adventist Church each Sunday and had a Building Fund for purchasing/building their own place.
Needless to say, after the service, the Masons, wives and Masonic Widows flat told him he didn't know what he was talking about and that he should have researched for the truth before delivering the Sermon. He refused.
The following week he had 15 in attendance. People vote with their feet.
We have all joined different churches in the area, and the anti-Masonic preacher and his church have folded up and are gone.
It was a lesson shared with the other established Churches in the area. In fact, we all individually searched out other churches and after attending a service would ask the Pastor/Minister if he had a problem with Masonry.
Some would say "yes, but your're still welcome to attend services." Others would just say "No problem, we would love to have you as members."
Too attack such a fine organization armed only with ignorance of the truth is obviously self-destructive. Like bringing a knife to a gun fight.
Richard Skoglund, PM
Payson, AZ.