Brandon Baptist church pulls plug on Pepsi products

A mega church that draws several thousand worshippers to Sunday services has pulled the plug on Pepsi products.

The last of 10 Pepsi vending machines were wheeled out the door this week at Bell Shoals Baptist Church and replaced with Coke machines, but the switch wasn't spurred by a taste test.

Terry Kemple, a member of Bell Shoals Baptist and president of the Community Issues Council, said the church's decision to boycott Pepsi products came after months of failed discussions with the soft drink company.

The council, formed "to promote and protect Judeo-Christian values" according to its Web site, and church officials asked the soft drink company to curb its support of groups, events and legal issues that "oppose traditional family values," Kemple said.

The company, Kemple said, sponsors major gay pride parades and events across the country.

"This year, they pumped millions of dollars into organizations that opposed California's same-sex marriage ban, Proposition 8," he said. "There are a lot of corporations that have diversity programs, but Pepsi goes far beyond."

The council meets with about 50 churches each month to discuss issues that conflict with traditional Christian values. Other local churches participating in the Pepsi boycott include Kings Avenue Baptist Church in Brandon and Plant City Church of God.

Kemple said more churches are expected to join the effort he hopes will send a strong message to corporate America.

"There have been many successful recent boycotts against companies like Kmart, Circle K and Ford Motor Co.," he said. "These companies were doing anti-family things like distributing pornography and advocating special rights based on a person's choice of sexual partners."

"We fight this battle one skirmish at a time," he said. "Our forefathers came here for religious liberty, not sexual liberty."

Representatives from Pepsi did not respond to requests for comments. Bell Shoals Baptist senior and associate pastors also declined to comment.