Unbelievable in 2006: Baptist Church in Mississippi Votes Out 12-Year-Old Over RACE
08/25/2006 01:31 Filed in: Culture Watch
This almost sounds like a story from the first half of the 20th Century, not something that would take place in 2006.
In July the ironically named Fellowship Baptist Church in Saltillo, Mississippi, held revival services. During those revival services, 12-year-old Joe, a boy of biracial descent "accepted Jesus into his heart." On August 6, at the church's business meeting, the all-white congregation voted to exclude blacks from its services, including Joe because they did not want him to bring his family members to worship services.
Unbelievable. Stunningly unbelievable. I cannot come up with strong enough words to describe my feelings for this church's decision. Such actions are nothing less than antichrist in the truest sense of the word.
The only bright spot in the entire event is that the church's pastor, Rev. John Stevens took a stand and chose to resign that very night rather than stay another day in service to a racist church. One other family, that of a Tupelo police officer, also left the small church that averages about 30 members. According to the Christianity Today Weblog, this story is surprisingly getting very little attention from the press so far.
I encourage you to read the full story "Pastor Leaves After Church Turns Away Biracial Boy" from the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. [Note: the link to the news story now points to a revised version and not the original one I referenced when I wrote this blog entry. For more information and access to both versions of the story, see my follow-up blog entry.]
Lest anyone forget, let me remind everyone right now that there is no room for racial division at the cross of Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:28 says ,
Fellowship Baptist Church is aligned with the Baptist Missionary Alliance. Unfortunately, I do not know any of this denomination's distinctive beliefs. However I am glad to say that my own denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention is officially opposed to all forms of racism. Article IX of The Baptist Faith and Message, "The Christian and Social Order," clearly states that "In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism...." That doesn't mean that we merely say we are against racism; it means that Southern Baptists are called to take an active role to counter racism wherever it appears.
If the Baptist Missionary Alliance has any similar beliefs against racism (and they certainly ought to), then Fellowship Baptist Church should be DISfellowshipped.
Redacted 8/26, 11:30 AM.
Related Reading: "Follow-Up to the Mississippi Church Racial Controversy"
In July the ironically named Fellowship Baptist Church in Saltillo, Mississippi, held revival services. During those revival services, 12-year-old Joe, a boy of biracial descent "accepted Jesus into his heart." On August 6, at the church's business meeting, the all-white congregation voted to exclude blacks from its services, including Joe because they did not want him to bring his family members to worship services.
Unbelievable. Stunningly unbelievable. I cannot come up with strong enough words to describe my feelings for this church's decision. Such actions are nothing less than antichrist in the truest sense of the word.
The only bright spot in the entire event is that the church's pastor, Rev. John Stevens took a stand and chose to resign that very night rather than stay another day in service to a racist church. One other family, that of a Tupelo police officer, also left the small church that averages about 30 members. According to the Christianity Today Weblog, this story is surprisingly getting very little attention from the press so far.
I encourage you to read the full story "Pastor Leaves After Church Turns Away Biracial Boy" from the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. [Note: the link to the news story now points to a revised version and not the original one I referenced when I wrote this blog entry. For more information and access to both versions of the story, see my follow-up blog entry.]
Lest anyone forget, let me remind everyone right now that there is no room for racial division at the cross of Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:28 says ,
In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.
(The Message)
Fellowship Baptist Church is aligned with the Baptist Missionary Alliance. Unfortunately, I do not know any of this denomination's distinctive beliefs. However I am glad to say that my own denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention is officially opposed to all forms of racism. Article IX of The Baptist Faith and Message, "The Christian and Social Order," clearly states that "In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism...." That doesn't mean that we merely say we are against racism; it means that Southern Baptists are called to take an active role to counter racism wherever it appears.
If the Baptist Missionary Alliance has any similar beliefs against racism (and they certainly ought to), then Fellowship Baptist Church should be DISfellowshipped.
Redacted 8/26, 11:30 AM.
Related Reading: "Follow-Up to the Mississippi Church Racial Controversy"