Andy Humbles

USA Today Network - Tennessee

An outspoken Mt. Juliet pastor went to Washington, D.C., on Thursday to return thousands of thank-you letters from Planned Parenthood after a video he made speaking out against the organization spawned donations to the group in his name.

Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church has done an array of controversial Facebook videos.

His stand against Planned Parenthood's mission led to a donation to the organization out of Texas made "in honor" of Locke.

Locke's response in a follow-up video posted in February has resulted in an avalanche of donations from around the country to Planned Parenthood and the subsequent thank-you mail sent to him and the church.

More than 1,000 individual donations have been made in Locke's name to Planned Parenthood locations in Nashville and Knoxville alone, according to the organization's Middle and East Tennessee spokeswoman, Sophie Friedman.

Locke announced his trip to Washington, D.C., on social media to return the mail and said he was met by security inside the breezeway. Locke was asked to go outside where two recycling bins were provided in front of the building.

Several supporters from the region who knew Locke would be in Washington came to support the pastor's stand, he said.

“To (Planned Parenthood) this is a blip on the screen," Locke said on the video. "This is a small bump on the radar. But to us it’s a big deal. And if we can help one person, one family, one young lady, if we can change one person’s mind with the truth of standing up and standing out, it makes all of it worth it."

Planned Parenthood responded to Locke’s visit by stating the organization is committed to protecting the privacy and safety of staff and will address potential disruptions as fast as possible, said Mara Kaiser Braunger, vice president of external relations at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.

She felt “protests of this kind” are done to shame and intimidate potential Planned Parenthood patients.

“If protesters were truly committed to reducing the number of unintended pregnancies, they would work with Planned Parenthood to increase access to affordable birth control and comprehensive sex education — here in Washington, D.C., and across the country," Braunger said in an emailed statement.

Some of the letters from Planned Parenthood appeared automated, but others were handwritten, according to Locke, who believes the organization was fully aware of the volume of the mail sent to the pastor and church. The mail from Planned Parenthood has come from several locations, Locke said.

The pastor and church also have received threats and items such as sex toys, contraceptives and tampons from other sources. Locke returned only Planned Parenthood mail on his trip to the Washington, D.C., facility. The other mail was separated and thrown away, Locke said.

Locke expects donations and mail in his and the church's name to continue, but plans to use the notoriety to start a fundraiser for Mission Pre-Born, a nonprofit that partners with "life-affirming" pregnancy centers across the country. Specifically, Locke hopes to raise $60,000 to go toward four sonogram machines, he said.

"I'm going to use the platform," Locke said Friday. "We have a reason to rally the troops. I think it's going to turn out to be positive."

Locke regularly posts Facebook videos, and a number have gone viral on controversial positions he's taken.

Past videos by the pastor include blasting Target for its transgender bathroom policy, schools for curriculum he believes has brainwashed students with Islam, the government’s approach to terrorism and Gov. Bill Haslam’s veto of a bill seeking to make the Bible the state book in Tennessee.

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @ AndyHumbles.