Church shuts down community picnic over fears it would be a political rally

This flyer promoting the county Republican party community picnic notes the event’s apolitical nature by specifically stating “no political speeches; just food, fun, entertainment and bouncy toys.” Click image to enlarge.

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette

Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013, 12:10 a.m.  — The Grand Ol’ Picnic planned for today has been cancelled, but not due to the heavy rains anticipated in today’s weather forecast.

The picnic’s last-minute cancellation was apparently due to concern that a church — the Bardstown United Methodist Church — was allowing a political rally to take place on its Second Campus located at 5100 Louisville Road.

The picnic, scheduled to run 12-4 p.m. today and was organized by the Republican Party of Nelson County and the Nelson County Organization of Republican Women, was never promoted as a political event.

Ads promoting the picnic explicitly stated its apolitical nature: “Family fun for the community. No political speeches; just food, fun, entertainment and bouncy toys.”

Robert Augustine, county chairman of the Republican Party, said he received a call 10 p.m. Saturday from a church representative who informed him the church decided it would not allow the event to take place at its Second Campus due to the picnic’s political nature. The last-minute cancellation forced Augustine to scramble to alert picnic-goers via email and social media just hours after he advised them the event would go on regardless of the weather forecast.

Augustine told the Gazette when he rented the facility he signed both his name and  position as the Republican Party county chairman. He said he believed it was clear that today’s picnic was not about politics and was open to the everyone regardless of political affiliation.

“It’s disappointing,” Augustine said. “I can respect their decision, but I would have liked to have had more notice. We will schedule another event for the community in the near future.”

Check the Republic Party of Nelson County’s Facebook page for updates on a rescheduled community event at www.Facebook.com/NelsonGOP.

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