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Worshippers rock for Jesus at Heaven's Edge Metal Church in Christ
By SARAH LEHR
struthers
At a typical Sunday service, Pastor Jim Keefer wears black jeans, a black leather vest, a black baseball cap and a silver skull ring.
Tattoos cover his arms, and he pulls his long hair back into a ponytail.
When he’s not at Heaven’s Edge Metal Church in Christ – a church he helped found in August 2014 – the pastor often feels like disapproving eyes are boring into the back of his head.
Heaven’s Edge, however, adopts a “come-as-you are” philosophy and encourages worshippers to dress however they like.
“I always say, your suit is not going to get you into heaven and my Iron Maiden shirt is not going to keep me out,” Pastor Keefer said.
Heaven’s Edge, a nondenominational Christian church that uses metal music for worship, began in Austintown. Worshippers first gathered in a banquet hall and then moved to a rented office space.
The church relocated to its current space – a small storefront at 8 State St., – in July. About a dozen people regularly attend services, which are at 6 p.m. Sundays, but the church has attracted up to 40 people on busy nights, Pastor Keefer said.
Ron Williams, director of worship and a bassist in the praise band, said Heaven’s Edge drew inspiration from the First Heavy Metal Church in Christ, a Dayton-based fellowship.
“You could say it’s gimmicky, but we’re solid in the word of God and we’re looking to pull people in,” Williams said.
Music communicates what words cannot, and heavy metal, in particular, draws people with its energy and sense of rebellion, Williams said.
“At his time, Jesus was the ultimate rebel,” Pastor Keefer added.
He grew up in Akron in the Catholic faith.
“I don’t mean to knock Catholicism,” Pastor Keefer said. “I know it’s meaningful to a lot of people, but I just never left a Mass feeling better than when I came in.”
For him, music was an escape from an abusive household. When his father became violent after coming home drunk, the pastor would retreat into his bedroom, put his headphones on and listen to AC/DC or Metallica.
Some adults told Pastor Keefer such music was dangerous and even associated with the devil.
“Excuse me, but I don’t remember a commandment that says, ‘Thou shalt not listen to metal music,”’ he said.
The clergyman said Heaven’s Edge strives to reach out to people who may feel neglected or judged by other Christians, including addicts and prostitutes.
Ministry Leader Darlene Carson hosts a weekly support group for recovering addicts, and the church organizes outreach events and fundraisers for those in need.
The church will participate in a “Pink Lemon Aide” cancer-awareness fundraiser Oct. 10 at W.D. Packard Music Hall in Warren.
A Youngstown man, who goes by “Spider,” is a regular at Heaven’s Edge. Metal music isn’t really Spider’s thing; he’s into more mellow rock and went to Woodstock before being deployed to Vietnam. Spider wound up at Heaven’s Edge after Keefer wandered into Spider’s tattoo shop, looking for someone to design promotional materials for the church.
As a child in Southern Maryland, Spider went to a Baptist church, but he lost touch with religion after falling prey to addiction and spending time behind bars.
“I didn’t pray to God or nothing,” Spider said. “My God was crystal methamphetamine and Jack Daniels.”
Pastor Keefer is open about his own troubled past, and he tells his parishioners that while God does not accept sin, He does forgive it if the sinner truly changes.
“I was a drunk and an adulterer,” Pastor Keefer said during a sermon Sunday night. “I was probably 10 for 10 as far as breaking the [Ten] Commandments goes.”
During Heaven’s Edge services, the praise band “Sinner 2 Saint” avoids secular music. The band favors covering songs from Christian hard-rock groups like Stryper, Fireflight and The Letter Black.
Sinner 2 Saint guitarist John Sawtelle described the band’s philosophy: “Basically, we’ll take any song and just do it louder.”