Tampa, Florida - Pastor Terry Jones believes it's time for a fresh start, so he and his flock of roughly 50 people are looking to move their church, the Dove World Outreach Center, to the Tampa Bay area. But locals are not exactly welcoming him with open arms.
Jones is the pastor who caused an international uproar by threatening to host an 'International Burn A Koran' day.
Wayne Sapp, Co-pastor of the controversial church said "The bible tells you if they do not receive your message brush the dust off of yourself and move on. We feel that Gainesville does not want this message."
He said they believe because Tampa is a more metropolitan city, people will be more open to their message.
Pentecostal Church of God Pastor David Rivera "I congratulate the people in Gainesville for not following, and I believe that if he came to Tampa, he would get the same result."
Idlewild Baptist Church pastor Ken Whitten doesn't believe jones will be anymore successful in the Tampa Bay area, and doesn't agree with Jones' stance on the Quran.
"The business of the church is to tell people that Jesus Christ can forgive of their sins and set them free. That is our message and only message and anything other than that detracts from that message."
So where will jones set up shop?
Rivera's Pentecostal Church of God on N. Church St. in Tampa is up for sale, but not if Jones is the buyer. "If he wanted to buy the church for $10 million, I wouldn't sell, because I don't think he represents what christianity is about."
Both pastors told me they respect Jones' right to practice his religion in Tampa, but they said those who know God will know his message is about anything but the love of Christ.
