Ohio Faith Leaders Tell Kroger's CEO: 'Your Woke Policies Leave a Bad Taste in Our Mouths'
"With the closure of 60 under-performing Kroger's stores over the next 18 months nationwide, we believe Kroger's would benefit by not 'upsetting the applecart.' Kroger's needs to stay out of politics and not alienate its customer base, otherwise its customers may just walk out the door and never come back." -Pastor Robert Kurtz
(North Central Ohio) — [FrontlinesOhio.com] While pride month has seen its better days, some companies are still pushing the controversial practice. Recently a group of clergy brought their concerns to a CEO of the largest grocery supermarket chain in the nation. The faith leaders are asking the new CEO of Kroger's not to pick sides and to exit the culture war. While the suggestions may not be on Kroger's shopping list, as it turns out, the clergy are bringing the receipts. One pastor believes Kroger's is alienating its base. (Screengrab image: via Frontlines Ohio)
"Instead of staying socially neutral on controversial political causes to satisfy the majority of their customer base," says Pastor Henry Bradley, "the Ohio-based Kroger's has left the marketplace of ideas and is aligned and closely-associated with a diabolical LGBT policy that holds a mixed bag of extremist positions." Bradley, is one of the lead clergymen representing 80 diverse congregations who sent a letter to Ronald Sargent, interim CEO of the Kroger's Company.
Some of the positions under scrutiny and supported by the LGBT movement include: gender surgery involving the sterilization and mutilation of minor children's sex organs, the distribution of pornography to minor children in public schools and libraries, the censorship of speech that does not conform with the LGBT political agenda, the removal of child-pedophilia laws, and the discrimination of female athletes in sports.
The church leaders believe a cultural shift is taking place in the country and Kroger's, which is headquartered in Ohio, is 'late to the dinner table.' The clergy are convinced, 'When you go woke, you go broke.'
In the correspondence, the clergy wrote, "It has come to our attention that your Kroger Company has been deeply entrenched in the culture war promoting radical LGBT policies and political causes. As a result, the group "One Million Moms" and even local churches are now boycotting your grocery store chain. These radical 'woke' positions are divisive and contrary to orthodox Biblical teaching, and in many cases, contrary to federal law," the pastors said.
While the US Department of Education celebrated "Title IX Month" this past June to celebrate girls' sports, and while the Ohio Legislature is considering legislation which would establish "Natural Family Month," between Mother's Day and Father's Day, the clergy told Sargent that "Your Kroger's Company participated in "Pride Month" celebrations and promoted LGBT inclusion through various campaigns and initiatives. This is even after many large corporations are discontinuing this practice."
After a 9-year boycott of the Target Corporation over the company's decision to allow men into the bathrooms and changing areas used by women and girls, Target lost over $2 billion in stock value in the days following the boycott. The clergy letter said, "Other corporations took note about the misguided Target policy. Consequently, Target added single occupancy restrooms in response to the boycott, Target scaled back LGBT Pride month products in May 2024, and Target recently announced it will no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign's LGBT index."
Pastor Henry Bradley says, "Your (Kroger) customer service is leaving a bad taste in our mouths."
The religious stakeholders went on to say, "As 80 lead clergy, we are looking after our congregants which happen to be your potential customer base. We are also hopeful Kroger's as an employer can prosper; However, with the current radical 'woke' policies in place, Kroger will not succeed. The Bible says,"And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you." (1 Thessalonians 4)
"In closing, we are aware of your grocery chain's humble, hometown beginnings," the clergy wrote. "A 13-year-old boy, forced to quit school and to take a job working to help his family. But when the boy heard he had to work Sundays, his mother objected. Respecting his mother's wishes, Barney quit and took another job where he could control his days and hours. Cincinnati native Bernard "Barney" Kroger would credit his Bible-believing mother with instilling in him a deep sense of self-discipline, enabling him to manage and expand his company."
Out of respect to the Kroger Company's founder, the faith leaders are asking CEO Ronald Sargent to "please consider directing your company to not pick sides and to exit the culture war." The clergy cosigners represented 80 diverse congregations from 12 counties located predominantly in: Richland, Crawford, Ashland, Wayne, Knox, and Trumbull counties. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here
The Bottom Line:
The Bible says in First Corinthians 6,"Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body."
