[2] Its unusual name and explicit mission statement of outreach to excluded young adults has attracted comment from both religious and non-religious sources.

Scum of the Earth Church was founded by Mike Sares and Five Iron Frenzy vocalist Reese Roper in February 2000.

[4] But continued growth led to several location changes, and in September 2008, through substantial donations from outside supporters, the church purchased its own building at 935 W. 11th Avenue, in the Santa Fe Arts District.

Former head pastor Mike Sares returned to preach from the book of Lamentations, and the service closed with an acoustic rendition of Five Iron Frenzy's song Every New Day.

[12] In 2006, Scott Bader-Saye argued that the seeming radical aspects of SOTEC, and the "innovation" involved in its appeal to fringe elements of society, were "not fundamentally different from traditional evangelicalism.