Religious activist forms new church

Stacy J. Willis

Monday, Oct. 30, 2000 | 10:43 a.m.

Midway through his campaign against gay marriages, Richard Ziser is opening another church.

Ziser, who was corporate president of Canyon Ridge Christian Church until this autumn, is working on the steering committee of a new nondenominational church in the southwest Las Vegas Valley.

The Crossing church opened Sept. 24 in Clifford J. Lawrence Middle School near Tropicana Avenue and Durango Drive. Canyon Ridge, the Crossing and Central Christian -- the largest church in Southern Nevada at 5,000 members -- are affiliated with the Willow Springs national association of churches.

The churches support Ziser's proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages in Nevada.

As the president of the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage, Ziser's opposition to gay marriage is rooted in his Christian beliefs, he said.

But the Rev. Charlie Arehart, pastor of the gay community's Metropolitan Community Church, said anti-gay campaigns are aimed at building membership in conservative churches.

"I believe that most of the people in these conservative congregations have good intentions, that they really believe they are trying to save (gays and lesbians) from hell," Arehart said.

"But some of these leaders are evil. They are using this issue as a cash cow. They can raise their voices about this and ask for financial resources from their congregants and build their numbers," Arehart said.

Ziser denied using the campaign to whip up enthusiasm for church and increase cash flow.

"That doesn't make any sense at all," Ziser said. "To the contrary, a lot of churches are afraid of getting involved. A lot of churches don't want any part of this; they don't want to be politically incorrect."

About 900 people attended one of the two services at the Crossing on its opening day. Church leaders have not purchased property to build on yet.

As to whether Ziser himself will ever be a pastor, he said, "It intrigues me at times. It's definitely a possibility. But I enjoy more project-oriented things, like this campaign."