Christian Coffee Shop in Colorado Faces Brutal Protests, Says It’s ‘Spritual Warfare’

“The Drip Cafe is basically an idea from our project where we’re helping homeless people get out of homelessness, to break the chains that are holding them down with homelessness,” he told CBN News in a recent interview. “One of those important areas is to have a real job, to build a resume, to get work experience, to get used to socializing in a normal setting.”

The coffee shop carries out its mission to help the homeless through the affiliated Project Revive. Sanchez also shared that Drip Cafe gathers with community members for prayer and encouragement.

However, the cafe has faced protests from LGBTQ and communist protestors who want to shut it down. As reported by Faithwire, an online statement on biblical sexuality reportedly was a catalyst for the protests.

“Homosexuality: This organization is opposed to homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle. Additionally, this organization holds that a homosexual lifestyle is contrary to God’s Word and purpose for humanity (1 Timothy 1:10). The Bible instructs that it is a sin that leads to death,” the statement reads.

“Moreover, this organization is instructed to love those living such lifestyles, while abhorring their sin.  1 Cor. 6:9 says the following: ‘Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.’ Members of the church are forbidden to practice such sin. Any member found to be in such sin and unrepentant shall be subject to dismissal.”

Sanchez also shared that he reworded the original statement to make it more straightforward. According to Faithwire, the Denver Communists Facebook page includes posts calling for protests against The Drip Cafe. At the same time, however, Sanchez noted that the demonstrations now take place once a month when they used to take place on a weekly basis.

“It’s a spiritual warfare going on,” he said. “By now, they should realize they’re not affecting us the way that they thought they would. Their goal is very clear; it’s on their site; it’s on their posters. They want to shut us down.”

Protestors have claimed that the cafe hates gay people and have gone as far as to attack Sanchez on a personal basis, including bringing up his late wife.

“They’ve even actually gone as far as attacking me personally and saying that I’m using my late wife’s death as a tool to get people to feel sorry for me,” he said, noting such attacks “hurt” but at the same time, he sees it as a confirmation of God’s calling on his life.

“It’s also a confirmation of how powerful my testimony is that Christ has given me through my life — that the enemy would try to pull that out and use it as a tool against me.” 

Nevertheless, Sanchez remains resilient in trusting in the Lord rather than just give up and close the cafe.

“For me, the cafe is not mine. I don’t really see it as my cafe,” he said. “I don’t see it as Recycle God’s Love’s cafe. I see it as God’s cafe. He gave it to us; if He wants it to go away, then He’ll make it go away.”

He also said that he will continue to keep the cafe’s doors open until God tells him it’s time to move on.

“We’re going to be able to take someone who essentially is… hopeless — they feel like no one cares about them, no one loves them,” he said. “We’re gonna be able to just pull them out of that, show them that Christ loves them.”

Image credit: ©Getty Images/Ridofranz

Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.