The owner of a controversial Christian cafe in Colorado said his business and ministry will continue to operate despite a barrage of protests by communists and LGBTQ demonstrators over the past year.

Hear them in the latest episode of “Quick Start”

Jamie Sanchez, founder of Recycle God’s Love, was once again a guest on CBN News to give an exciting update on Drip Café, the cafe he opened as part of his affiliated project, Project Revive.

Sanchez said that despite the ongoing spate of chaotic demonstrations, the cafe trained and supported its first homeless employee, a recognition of his department’s efforts to help the homeless through employment and connecting them with much-needed resources.

“(Our goal is to) hire homeless people, give them a real W2 job and also educate them while they work with us,” Sanzhez said. “And the project includes everything from providing housing to financial counseling and spiritual guidance.”

The first employee, Scott, reportedly had a wonderful and fruitful experience. When Sanchez heard that Scott needed help, he realized it was the right time to finally launch the program.

“God just put it on my heart,” he said. “So I hired him and … it’s crazy because I hired him, he comes in, we make sure he stays sober, tell him everything right from the start, like, ‘Hey, this is serious. We treat this job like a real job. If you’re late, if you don’t show up, it’s like a real job. If you don’t show up for a shift and you don’t call, you get fired.'”

Fortunately, the process went very well because Scott remained persistent. Even if someone is fired from their position, Sanchez says his ministry will continue to help with discipleship, housing and other relevant needs.

Scott, who mastered his task with flying colors, is already leaving his homeless shelter and moving into accommodation run by a local partner organization.

“It just shows… how God really… when you put your trust in Him, He does what He does,” Sanchez said, noting that working with like-minded people has helped Scott succeed. “It really proves that the chains of homelessness can be broken with the power of Jesus Christ.”

Despite this success, Sanchez says protests against his cafe still occur once a month, with the chaos usually occurring on what should be his busiest day.

As previously reported, last June, people gathered outside the store, shouting and targeting the fruits of the ministry’s labor. A statement on Recycle God’s Love’s website affirming biblical sexuality reportedly sparked the protests that began in June and continue to this day.

The original statement read:

Homosexuality: This organization opposes homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle. In addition, this organization holds that a homosexual lifestyle goes against God’s Word and the purpose of mankind (1 Timothy 1:10). The Bible teaches that it is a sin that leads to death. In addition, this organization is instructed to love those who live such a lifestyle 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 homosexuals.” Church members are forbidden to commit such sins. Any member who commits such a sin and does not repent will be dismissed.

Sanchez said he changed the wording shortly after the cafe opened to make the ministry’s intentions regarding love and truth clearer. You can read the new wording here.

The Denver Communists’ Facebook page called for protests against the cafe. The goal, according to Sanchez, was to close the cafe – but so far without success.

“It’s a spiritual war,” he said. “They should have realized by now that they are not influencing us the way they thought they would. Their goal is very clear; it’s on their website, it’s on their posters. They want to silence us.”

He said those protesters showed up claiming the cafe hated homosexuals and tried to exploit the homeless, prompting Sanchez to accuse them of “making up all kinds of lies.”

“They stand outside with a horn and yell,” he said. “When a customer comes through the door, and it’s just a normal person, they yell into the horn and say, ‘Don’t go in there! Don’t go in there!’ They literally scare them and don’t want to go into the cafe at all.”

Sanchez, who has young children, said he had been the target of personal attacks, including in connection with his late first wife.

“They have even gone so far as to attack me personally, claiming that I am using the death of my late wife as a tool to get pity,” he said, noting that such attacks “hurt” but help him affirm that he is following God’s call on his life. “It is also an affirmation of how powerful my testimony is that Christ has given me through my life – that the enemy would try to pull it out and use it as a tool against me.”

Instead of giving up on Drip Café, Sanchez said he persevered, trusted in God throughout the journey and kept his focus on the larger mission.

“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, he’ll make it go away.”

In the end, Sanchez said that “glory goes to God” that the cafe was able to stay open despite the chaos.

“Without the strong support of God and the Body of Christ, we would not be here,” he said. For more information about the cafe, click here.