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Today, a large number of individuals with
Wisconsin Christians United will be conducting ministry activities on the
parking lot and the road leading to the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources nude beach near Mazomanie. WCU will be making use of street
theater, large signs, an amplified sound system, gospel tracts, one-on-one
interaction, and even preachers on wheels to confront with the Word of God
both the beachgoers and the large number of law enforcement officials sure
to be on the scene. From the moment a beachgoer turns his car into the
driveway leading to the parking lot until he finishes the long walk from
the parking lot to the beach, he will be confronted with the gospel truth.
For those beachgoers who intend to ride bicycles down the one-mile gravel
drive from the parking lot to the beach, WCU will have evangelists on
bikes to keep pace with them.
Since WCU began its campaign to end the nudity at Mazo beach, the
public has come to understand that state officials are lying to protect
that tax-funded peep show, the number of beachgoers has decreased
exponentially, the number of children being brought there has dropped
almost to zero, nudists are no longer seen wandering up and down the river
away from the beach, and the DNR has closed to all vehicular traffic the
one-mile drive from the upper beach parking lot to the lower lot and the
beach.
Last fall, DNR officials and Dane County Sheriff's Department
officials met with Pastor Ralph Ovadal and asked him to cease WCU ministry
activities at the beach. Pastor Ovadal refused and countered by asking
them to put an end to the illegal public nudity at the beach. Several
months later, DNR officials announced that they would pass an
administrative law requiring a permit to protest on DNR-owned property.
Pastor Ovadal responded by threatening a federal lawsuit, and DNR
attorneys called him to say that the permit scheme would be abandoned.
Currently, WCU is planning fifteen to eighteen events, large and small, at
the Mazo nude beach this summer. None of the ministry activity is
conducted on the beach where the nudity takes place.
"By the grace of God, we have achieved much in
this struggle. However, we know that if we were to walk away now, it would
soon be business as usual at that open air bathhouse on the Wisconsin
River. We have continually pleaded with state officials to protect the
children and moral climate of our state by putting an end to the nudity at
Mazo beach. We do not want to cost the state manpower and money by our
ministry activities at Mazo. We also know that our presence there brings
great tension. Nevertheless, we cannot and will not walk away from this
battle without a total victory. There is too much at stake."
Pastor Ralph Ovadal, Director, Wisconsin Christians United
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