Ohio pastor fights strip club, wins topless protests at church


For almost nine years, a pastor in Warsaw, Ohio, has been spending his Friday nights at a local strip club, but not in that way. William Dunfee, the pastor of New Beginnings Ministries, and his supporters have passed their weekend nights outside the Foxhole, in nearby New Castle Township, harassing employees and customers, reading the Bible, and urging men to go home to their wives. "I have no intention of looking away from evil," Dunfee tells The New York Times.
Earlier this month, Foxhole dancers started returning the favor, showing up on Sunday mornings to protest, topless, outside Dunfee's church. "It has been outright harassment going on nine years," Foxhole owner Tommy George tells The Times. "I decided to show them, you don't want it behind closed doors? We'll bring it right out in the open and see how you like it." The congregants don't like it, and some have been entering through a side door.
The county is trying to end the long, perfectly legal standoff, which George expects to lose. "I imagine he'll go on with it," he says of Dunfee. But as for his team's topless protests, "I'll go away at some point. It's going to get cold." To learn more, read the article in The New York Times and watch the video below, from WCMH. --Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The Miami Showband massacre, 50 years on
The Explainer Unanswered questions remain over Troubles terror attack that killed three members of one of Ireland's most popular music acts
-
Tea app hack: user data stolen from women's dating safety app
In The Spotlight Data leak has led to fears users could be targeted by men angered by the app's premise
-
The Assassin: action-packed caper is 'terrific fun'
The Week Recommends Keeley Hawes stars as a former hitwoman drawn out of retirement for 'one last job'
-
Judge halts GOP defunding of Planned Parenthood
Speed Read The Trump administration can't withhold Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood, said the ruling
-
Trump contradicts Israel, says 'starvation' in Gaza
Speed Read The president suggests Israel could be doing more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Columbia pays $200M to settle with White House
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the school of failing to protect its Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
Japan's prime minister feels pressure after election losses
Speed Read Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office