When vandals knocked down and trampled the rainbow-colored doors in front of the Tower District’s iconic Big Red Church last Sunday, it revealed something deeper: six years of paint, layers repainted year after year as an enduring message of love and inclusion at the First Congregational Church of Fresno on Van Ness Blvd.
The Rev. Simon Biasell-Moshrefi, pastor at The Big Red Church, said the knocked down doors appeared to be trampled and jumped on when he saw them last weekend.
“It wasn’t just somebody who wasn’t having a good day. It was somebody who intentionally saw this. They didn’t see anything else that caused them anger. It was these doors. This idea that God is for everyone,” Biasell-Moshrefi said.
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The doors, which read “God’s doors are open to all,” were put up this June for Pride Month.
When neighbors last Sunday during service discovered the doors knocked down and broken, the second vandalization this summer, they came together to put them back up before congregants left church.
Thursday, the Big Red Church along with Fresnans United, held a ‘community healing gathering’ in light of the vandalism to speak out and raise money for a new art installation.
The event was attended by congregants from churches across the Valley, community members, and Naindeep Singh, a candidate running for Fresno City Council District 1.
“I think these doors represent, and you’ve heard it echo so much today, represent something about this neighborhood, this community, and ultimately, what is the Fresno that we’re all hoping and envisioning together,” Singh said.
In collaboration with local tower district artists, a new art installation that continues the spirit of inclusion is in the works for The Big Red Church.
Singh made a personal contribution of $500 to help fund a new art installation for the church.
At the event, congregants and community members were invited to join together to take down the rainbow-painted doors, to make room for a new art installation and waterslides The Big Red Church puts up for back to school.
“These doors are much more than just a display in front of a church,” the Rev. Kim Schoelen of Grace Community church said.
“What it does is it lets people know, even if they’re not ready to ever set foot into a church because of what has been done to them and said to them, it lets people know that there is a church that is still fighting for them and rooting for them and wants them to benefit and to thrive.”
Ann Meester, who has been a part of the congregation at the First Congregational Church of Fresno since 1960, said the church gave her a groundwork: teaching her how to treat others and deeply impacting her life
Every time Meester drove by the rainbow painted doors, she felt pride.
“That’s my home. That’s my home church,” Meester said.
Singh, who spoke at the event, emphasized the value in creating a community healing space to stand together “united” to call out what’s wrong, a perspective echoed across the attendees.
“When we don’t speak out, we allow them to continue to do it,” Robin McGehee, a leader at Together Across America, said.
“So we have to continue to stand with dignity. We have to continue to stand with love, and we have to continue to have a bold witness for what is truly right, which is loving our neighbor as ourselves.”
The Fresno Bee
Grace Gillio is an intern for The Fresno Bee. She graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in journalism and English.