| The Dary Byczek hate crime trial will continue today. Yesterday,
125 individuals with Wisconsin Christians United held a rally next to the
Green County Courthouse in Monroe, Wisconsin to show support for Dary
Byczek and opposition to the hate crime charges for which he is being
tried. During the hour-long rally, hymns were sung and four pastors
preached and led in prayer. Witnesses reported that the singing was easily
and clearly heard in the courtroom as the jury was being selected for the
trial! In several instances, workers in courthouse offices also opened
windows in order to better hear the preaching and praying. In one of the
ironies of the day, Linda Ovadal was on jury duty. Linda is the wife of
Pastor Ralph Ovadal, director of Wisconsin Christians United. Mrs. Ovadal
was rejected for jury duty after she said that in deciding a verdict in
the case she would obey God. Once Linda left the courtroom, Judge William
Johnston asked the other potential jurors if any of them attended a church
that held homosexuality to be a sin. However, Judge Johnston did not ask
if any of them attended a church which approves of homosexuality.
After the rally, WCU staged a march around the courthouse square
and then sat in at the trial as a show of support for Mr. Byczek and his
family. WCU also literature dropped Monroe homes with an open letter from
Pastor Ralph Ovadal, and Pastor Ovadal did a large number of press
interviews.
"God richly blessed our efforts yesterday. I am confident that
our witness will be used for great good in this tragic situation. It can
only work for good that so many people, including swarms of police and
media, heard the gospel preached and the Lord praised through song and
prayer. One thing is for certain, if D.A. Luhman was hoping to keep Green
County's first hate crime trial low key, he missed that goal by a
mile."
Pastor Ralph Ovadal, Director, Wisconsin Christians United
"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither
cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved."
John 3:20
For more information, call (608)328-4841.
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