Originally published 2022-06-27.
The church behind the viral roadside signs is Clackamas United Church of Christ in Milwaukie, Oregon, a small suburb just south of Portland. Its pastor, Adam Ericksen, began posting short messages on the church's outdoor board soon after he arrived, and photographs of them spread across Instagram, Facebook and news sites around 2019 and 2020. The best known reads: "Kind atheists are closer to Jesus than mean Christians."
The signs are short, often funny and deliberately pointed. They argue that Christianity, at its heart, is about welcome rather than exclusion, and they speak directly to people who have been hurt or pushed away by churches. Here is the story behind them, what the messages say, and why they struck such a nerve.
Who is behind the signs
Ericksen told Bored Panda that when he arrived at Clackamas UCC, about a year and a half before that interview, regular Sunday attendance was only around 30 people. He noticed a basic problem: neighbours drove past the building every day but had no idea what the congregation believed. Many assumed it was like any other church and never thought of walking in.
His answer was simple. The congregation raised money for a changeable message board facing the road, and he started writing short statements of what the church stood for. Drivers began pulling over to thank him in person. Others snapped photos, and the pictures were shared far beyond Milwaukie, something he says he never expected.
He described his aim as being bold about love and inclusion, especially toward people who have been marginalised by religion itself, and as part of a wider movement that wants to reframe Christianity around God's love for everyone. In his words to Bored Panda: "Jesus was most critical of those who used religion as an excuse to marginalize others."
A post shared by Clackamas United Church Christ (@clackamasucc)
What the messages say
The signs change regularly, and the church shared many of them on its Instagram account, @clackamasucc. A few that travelled furthest:
- On kindness over labels: the atheist sign above, which suggests that how people treat each other matters more than what they call themselves.
- On LGBTQ inclusion: "Blessed are our LGBTQ siblings, the Kingdom is theirs." It borrows the rhythm of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount.
- On reading scripture: one board explained that the congregation treats the Bible as serious and important while not reading every passage word for word as literal fact.
- On the wider world: other boards quoted figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and the climate activist Greta Thunberg, tying faith to civil rights and care for the planet.
The pattern is consistent: a familiar religious phrase, turned slightly so that it lands on the side of people who often feel left out.
A post shared by Clackamas United Church Christ (@clackamasucc)
The church and its tradition
The messages make more sense once you know the denomination. The United Church of Christ was formed in 1957 from a merger of the Congregational Christian Churches, the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Afro-Christian Convention. Its roots go back to the New England Congregationalists, and it is known today as one of the most progressive mainline Protestant churches in the United States.
In 2005 its General Synod passed a resolution supporting equal marriage rights for all, making it the first major Christian deliberative body in the country to back same-sex marriage. Congregations can also choose to become "Open and Affirming", a public commitment to welcome LGBTQ people fully into church life; more than 1,700 churches had done so by 2025. The denomination's motto is "That they may all be one", from the Gospel of John.
The UCC also has a history of eye-catching public messaging. Its "God is Still Speaking" campaign, launched in 2004, used a large comma as its symbol, built around a line often attributed to the comedian Gracie Allen: never place a period where God has placed a comma.
A post shared by Clackamas United Church Christ (@clackamasucc)
Why a roadside board went viral
Church signs are usually ignored, or remembered for bad puns. These were different for a few reasons.
They surprised people. Many Americans associate Christianity in public life with conservative politics. A church sign praising kind atheists or blessing LGBTQ people cuts against that expectation, and surprise is what makes people stop and take a photo.
They are easy to share. A single sentence on a white board fits perfectly in a social media post. People who would never read a sermon will happily forward a ten-word message that sums up what they feel.
They spoke to a real hunger. Ericksen has said that, amid so much anger in public life, people are looking for something deeper, and that many across generations want a more inclusive faith. US surveys over the last two decades have recorded a steady rise in people who describe themselves as having no religion, and signs like these speak directly to people who drifted away but still care about the questions faith asks.
A post shared by Clackamas United Church Christ (@clackamasucc)
How the neighbourhood reacted
According to Ericksen, the response has been overwhelmingly warm. Support has come from fellow Christians, from people of other religions and from atheists. Drivers honk or shout encouragement as they pass. Negative reactions are rare; he recalled one man telling him he did not understand the Bible, but that kind of confrontation has been the exception.
Online, comment threads followed a familiar pattern. Most people praised the message, some used it to criticise other churches, and a few argued about theology, spelling or the sign's design. That mixture is part of the point: a short public statement starts a conversation that a church service alone would never reach.
It is worth remembering that these signs speak for one congregation. Christians hold a wide range of views on sexuality, scripture and politics, and many who disagree with Clackamas UCC on some questions would still share its emphasis on kindness. A roadside board can open the door; what makes a church welcoming in practice is how people are treated once they walk in.
A post shared by Clackamas United Church Christ (@clackamasucc)
What other communities can take from it
You do not need to share this church's theology to learn something from its approach. A few lessons apply to any group that wants its neighbours to know what it stands for:
- Say your values plainly. People cannot join something they do not understand. A clear, short statement does more than a vague welcome.
- Be consistent. The signs worked because they kept coming, week after week, all pointing the same way.
- Back words with action. A message about inclusion only means something if newcomers are genuinely made to feel at home.
- Leave room for humour. A light touch makes even a serious message easier to hear.
For a congregation that once had about 30 regular worshippers, a modest fundraiser for a sign became a way of talking to thousands of people it would never otherwise have met.
Sources: Bored Panda interview with Pastor Adam Ericksen; Upworthy: Oregon church's sign messages go viral; Wikipedia: United Church of Christ. Sign photos via the church's Instagram account, @clackamasucc.
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