× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

A church in western Iredell County has drawn criticism with its Christmas sign.

The sign in front of Kingdom Way Church is declaring to passing motorists that “Santa is not real but Jesus is.”

The church is on Taylorsville Highway, just down the street from Scotts Elementary School, in the Scotts community. The church was still displaying the sign Wednesday afternoon.

The sign has been up long enough for some children to notice. Scotts resident Erin Babcock said students had asked a teacher if Santa was real.

“I am 100 percent with the Jesus is real part,” Babcock said. “But to have the Santa part out where children can read it ... just shows how much of a scrooge the pastor is.“

Kingdom Way’s pastor Neal McCall said the church’s congregation decided on the message together.

The sign was meant “to make people realize it’s a lie,” McCall said. “There’s no way a sleigh can fly or there’s no way someone can survive in the North Pole.”

McCall said he never used the Santa story with his own kids. For Christmas, he told them he gave them presents out of love.