LIVINGSTON, Texas – What started out as an announcement for Polk County Pagan Market has turned into an ongoing topic of debate between both Pagans and Christians in the small east Texas town of Livingston and throughout the state. On Friday night, July 8th, Jason Mclelland released the graphic for November’s event and by Saturday morning the word had spread quickly.
The graphic had been picked up by a leader of a local church and then posted on his Facebook feed.
As TWH reported in Pagan Community Notes yesterday, the posts were created by Senior Pastor Kevin Hendrix of FaithWorld International Outreach Church released a public post on Facebook condemning an upcoming event called the Polk County Pagan Market.
Sharing the Pagan Market’s graphic, the pastor wrote, “Pastors and Christians you better take your stand now and let’s put a stop to this!! This is NOT welcome in Polk County!! Polk County is hungry and thirsty for righteousness and Jesus said those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled!!”
A subsequent post by the pastor added, “Has passivity become the norm for some in the church? When did we get to the point that things of the world became ‘ok’ or ‘maybe it won’t hurt?’ Hold your beliefs up to the standard of God’s word and see the difference. Call me old fashioned if you want to it does not matter to me!! If you play around with worldly things you’ll get results you probably don’t want!!!”
“We’ve had messages from people telling us ‘… this (the event) won’t happen here….” or “… leave the county…” the owner of Witch’s Brew Metaphysical stated. Over the weekend the online metaphysical shop has had their website taken down, as well as other forms of social media falling to people reporting the posts.
Witch’s Brew Metaphysical said that, subsequent to the post, “fake vendors have applied so we have to go through those emails. Some of the messages are proselytizing and some are opposition posts sent to me with death threats on both sides.”
Mclelland released a public statement:
“…..Me personally, I WILL not respond to hate with hate. People fear what they have been taught to fear without knowing what they are fearing. That’s okay, we all do it to some degree. But kindness is key to an open ear. I have no interest in explaining, proselytizing or arguing. However if asked, I will educate. But without kindness, no one will care to listen.
I would like to ask our community, if you do respond, to respond with kindness, meet hate with compassion, lets show everyone we are the better….”
Rock Bottom Tattoos is working in tandem with Witch’s Brew Metaphysical, to breathe life into the emerging Pagan Market. Jessica Darkrabbit owns the tattoo facility and offers more than tattoos in her shop.
“I have a metaphysical retail shop inside the tattoo shop. I have really strong Christians that come into the shop that don’t blink an eye when they are in there but the moment that I started to advertise, it was a whole other thing.”
This past weekend, one of the artist’s clients came into the shop to inform her of what had happened in Walmart after a customer of the store saw the pumpkin tattoo displayed on the client’s body.
“You’re one of those Pagan freaks, aren’t you?” The tattoo shop patron said that she felt like crying. Darkrabbit continues to say that her client was apprehensive about going to church for fear of blowback from her pastor and congregation. But according to the church attendee, the church pastor came up to her and told her that he did not want to be involved with any of the controversy surrounding this event.
While speaking with the tattoo artist, the client said that one of the sermons given on Sunday, July 10th, by Pastor Mathew Ellis of Life Vine Church addressed the fears his congregation had surrounding the market. The client reported to Darkrabbit that “I was told, well, you know, the pastors in this County better stand up and talk about it….” The pastor reportedly went on to say that he prayed on it and, “The Lord said, ‘Well you’re going to stand up and talk about it.” The client added he preached, “.. if the Lord is going to change anything, it is going to be through a change of heart. No amount of protest will make any difference. The change of the heart has to occur and for that, we need to love.”
The client then added that Ellis prayed “…So, father, I pray right now for divine appointments. Father, we pray with all confidence and all knowledge that our daddy can whip their daddy. We pray that with all knowledge and all confidence that in the end, we are on the part of the winning team.”
Tension seems to be mounting in the Livingston area and the sermons at the latest Sunday services appear to be stoking those tensions.
“Nobody has come into my shop yet but what if we have protestors? What is stopping my shop from being attacked? I am very scared,” said Darkrabbit.
This comes after the viral post from Pastor Kevin Hendrix viral post now has over 500 shares with 3,500 laugh reactions. Commenters on the post have shared business information and called Christians to join the protest and even show up at the event.
One person wrote “We curse this pagan market at the root in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!!!,” another person called the event “disturbing,” while another commenter another wondered “are they the ones who are laughing at all our comments?”
Pastor Hendrix’s post was seen by Derrick Land, founder of Austin Witchfest, who connected with the organizers of the event to offer his assistance.
Land states, “ Events like the Polk County Witches Market provide an outlet for our community to gather safely. Especially in the more rural areas of Texas, where it may be too far for attendees to travel to the bigger cities, these spaces are all the more vital. The comments made by Christian extremists against this market have not just been hateful, but threatening. It’s simply unacceptable. It’s important that we stand up for one another and help build each other up whenever possible.”
Land is not the only voice in the crowd of support that has been outstretched to the budding new event. Mclelland and Darkrabbit both echo that the amount of support has been pouring in from not only around the state but from other states as well. Pledging security, volunteering opportunities and entertainment.
Gortva Fehérló from Nokken and the Grim is Austin Witchfest Alumni reached out to the festival reached out to offer their support. Fehérló said, “It is more necessary than ever for spiritual and cultural minorities to support one another in these times of hate and rise to each other’s defense when our communities are threatened by violence and censorship. When I heard that Livingston’s first pagan market was coming under fire from Christian fundamentalists from a friend of mine, I knew we had to get involved and help them get the support they need. It just so happened that Nøkken + The Grim was in the middle of planning a Texas tour with three other bands, our friends Silver Tongue Devil, ManifestiV and MALAKAAI when the news hit. We decided to add a stop at Polk Country Pagan Market to rock the house down against hate and to support real religious freedom.”
“We have people from 8 hours away wanting to come and support us,” Mclelland shared. “We are looking at having the event on private property now. That way the protestors will have to stay at least 40 feet away if they do come. But we are also hoping that we can keep the location secret until closer to the event.”
Despite the controversy-laden weekend, both shop owners are set on bringing this festival to the people of Polk County. Both are set on ensuring that the event is 100% safe for the attendees and their families.
Darkrabbit illustrates her vision, “ I want to turn this into a fall festival with face painting, a bounce house and games. Speakers, bands, vendors and a drum circle at night. We are talking to a fire performer, too.” There is even talk of a costume contest.
Mclelland confirmed, “Nothing is going to stop this event.”
The Wild Hunt is not responsible for links to external content.
To join a conversation on this post:
Visit our The Wild Hunt subreddit! Point your favorite browser to https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Wild_Hunt_News/, then click “JOIN”. Make sure to click the bell, too, to be notified of new articles posted to our subreddit.