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 After their church wouldn't hold their wedding, the Wilsons had to find another church for their ceremony.
August 6th, 2012
01:23 PM ET
Church that refused to marry black couple releases apologyBy Jeffrey Elizabeth Copeland, CNN (CNN)–After barring a black couple from marrying in its Mississippi facility in late July, the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs released a statement Sunday apologizing for its actions. “We, the church, realize that the Hendersons and Wilsons should never have been asked to relocate their wedding. This wrong decision resulted in hurt and sadness for everyone. Both the pastor and those involved in the wedding location being changed have expressed their regrets and sorrow for their actions,” the church said. Te’Andrea and Charles Wilson planned for months to marry at the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs but were asked at the last minute to move. Their pastor, Stan Weatherford, made the request on behalf of some congregants who didn't want to see the couple married there, according to CNN affiliate WLBT. He performed the ceremony at a nearby church. Sunday’s statement follows a string of apologies from First Baptist and its congregation for turning away the young couple. “As a church, we express our apology to Te’Andrea and Charles Wilson for the hurt that was brought to them in the hours preceding their wedding and beyond. We are seeking forgiveness and reconciliation with our Lord Jesus Christ, Te’Andrea and Charles, family and friends of the Hendersons and Wilsons, our church family, and our community for the actions and attitudes that have recently occurred,” the statement continued. Despite the church’s recent statements, the Wilsons aren’t convinced of the congregations' sincerity, they said, calling the recent release “an insult” and “misleading to the public.” “The pastor has not spoken to us since a couple days after the incident. We have not heard from the pastor or any church official since the incident,” Charles Wilson said Sunday. Dr. Richard Land, head of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm for the Southern Baptist Convention, called the church’s apology responsible and necessary. “It certainly sounds to me as if God has been working on the hearts of the church members of Crystal Springs,” Land said. “And, they have seen and felt the error of their ways and they are expressing that in this letter. They’re apologizing and seeking to correct the damage that’s been done to the reputation of Christ and his church.” Jonathan Thompson, the African-American community relations director for the city of Crystal Springs, was one of many community members to organize a unity rally after the incident, aiming to help reunite church members. "I think this is an opportunity to really get intentional about reconciling," he said, adding that he prayed God would forgive all of them for their sins and that they would be able to find reconciliation. However, Charles Wilson said, “at the rally, the pastor avoided us. He walked the other way when he saw us walking toward him. It would have been nice to talk to us before issuing a statement." A spokesman who agreed to be identified only as a "church member" said that the church had attempted to reach out to the couple and that calls were not returned. The Wilsons had attended the church but were not official members. They would have been the first African-American couple to marry in First Baptist Church’s 150-year history, church officials said. "This had never been done before here, so it was setting a new precedent, and there are those who reacted to that because of that," Weatherford told CNN affiliate WLBT in July. Many church members were unaware of the decision to refuse to marry the couple and reacted with surprise to the news. The incident "didn't represent all the people of the church," said Thompson, who visited the church after the incident. Sunday's statement reaffirmed the church's desire for the inclusion of all people. "We the membership of First Baptist Church Crystal Springs hold the position that we should be open to all people. Our desire is to restore the church to be a spiritual lighthouse in doing the Lord’s will in Crystal Springs and in Mississippi." "I blame the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs. I blame those members who knew and call themselves Christians and didn't stand up," Charles Wilson told WLBT. “It’s up to them to decide whether to forgive or not. I hope they will,” Land said. “We recognized that our church, just like any other church, is made up of sinful- redeemed but flawed- saints who intentionally, at times, choose not to follow the Lord’s will. Alas, this is a truth of human nature.” soundoff (1,212 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Next »
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>Many church members were unaware of the decision to refuse to marry the couple and reacted with surprise to the news.
Wow so you didn't notice your church hadn't EVER married a black couple? What a load of disingenuous crap.
Too late. God knows your sins.
Hahaha what a pathetic church. It's like they're still in the 1960s.
Despite the resulting action of church leadership I do not believe everyone at the church are racially biased. What it shows is the poor leadership in the church to accept concerns from congregation members on a decision like this.
It exposed a man who doesn't deserve to be a pastor. He should resign in shame.
One word: Mississippi.
Could not have said it any better...
isn't that Native American for land full of fat whites and casinos?
That so-called "apology" is a sham. How insincere. If I were a member of that church, I would leave.
Agreed. Or, the real Christians should clean house and get rid of the bigots, including the pastor.
I've gotten into arguments, saying that racism hardly exists anymore (I truly almost never see it.) I am humiliated and ashamed by this and now apologize to everyone I ever argued with. Stop the hate, people. Just live.
this is such a rare event in the "black world" you would think this church would like to have them marry there.
My parents were married 46 years until death; my grandparents 40 years until death; how dare you taint the image of my children with this ignorant comment so I don't know the "black world" you refer to as I have lived black all of my life in this world; if you believe what you see on TV you might be a moron (just saying you might be)
Wow really? that is your input to this conversation? You are proving yourself to be as racist as some of the members of this church, but I think that was your point. How do you type wearing that pointy hat and long robe?
Redecks done bad? Golly gosh, I'm so schocked, the redneck tradition is such a glorious one!
long hair hides alot of rednecks
This would never happen in a Black church. No it wouldn't, for those who will say differently. I know for a fact!!! Bus loads of whites come to Harlem Every Sunday just to attend Black churches and believe me, THEY ARE WELCOMED and for those who may grumble. It is only a few and they are not reconized by the majority of Blacks. Everyone is welcomed at our churches!
Why do people continue to go to church anyway?
Because they are not perfect human beings such as yourself
Indoctrination, fear, guilt and gulibility and to follow the heard and to see and be seen.
That is a good question!
Because in spite of what you read in the news, many believe in God and desire fellowship and worshipping along side those who feel as they do. That you do not understand something doesn't make it wrong.
Because you "understand it" that doesn't make it right.
Not only should the pastor be fired, they should reveal those parishioners who complained so that their neighbors can see what kind of "Christians" they are.
I agree. This apology is not sincere.
Absolutely! Those who told the pastor to not do it should be expelled from the membership, along with the pastor, if that's what you can call him.
.....Gee, we are sorry we are...................A BUNCH OF HILLBILLY ID IOTS....................
SORRY....................I MIS SPOKE......................a bunch of ...BAPTIST hillbilly id iots
yeppers....and we are sorry your sister and brother were not married when they had you.
I bet they're sorry now that they have been exposed globally. What a weak apology too...they issued a statement but haven't had the civility to speak with them personally...share, shame, shame on the "christians" church members!
To answer 363 – you missed the point.
Why is this a suprise in Mississippi? Perhaps someday, they will be bigot free but not any time soon!
What was wrong with the black church? Did these people attend this white chiurch?
Are you Serious?
Are you from Mississippi?
You are look ing for seperate but equal?
Jesus accepted everyone. I would like to know what kind of Christian would deny anyone the opportunity to be married under the eyes of God. A Christian? Or, the self righteous bigots that think that they have been saved by Jesus. If you are a believer and a member of this church, you should be on your knees asking for forgiveness and then extend a personal apology to this couple as the minimum of penance.
Really?
Lol!!
Do you realize that it is now 2012? It is no longer 1865. Black and white is not supposed to matter anymore.
By asking about a 'black' church versus a 'white' church, your own prejudices (and ignorance) are revealed.
Why don't you question why, in 2012, is it even necessary to think of things in terms of black and white?
Te'Andrea had been attending the church for a year. Her father is a member and her uncle is the custodian. Charles had been attending for a month and they had planned to join the church after their marriage. So it wasn't a case of trying to do something unusual. Their plans had been made months before. They were told a couple of days before the wedding that they needed to find a new place. I am willing to believe that most of the church members did not know about the complaint.
Now that the church has whole heartedley extended its apology to the Te’Andrea and Charles Wilson, and anyone who may have been offended, the matter should be dropped. What has made this story newsworthy is that a church, which is supposed to practice love, demonstrated hate. Yet now that the church has publicly asked for forgiveness, (almost to the point of groveling) it has taken the appropriate step that would be required under the Bible. The ball has been thrown back in the court of Te’Andrea and Charles Wilson. One of the central tenants of the Christian faith is the concept of forgiveness, and the obligation of the Christian to forgive. I understand that the Wilsons may be new to the Christian faith, but as believers they must accept the church's apology, regardless of whether or not they think its sincere. God, not the Wilsons, is the only judge of the church's sincerity.
Take it or Leave it?
Southern Baptists in practice do make judgmental decisions independent and/or without God's knowledge. To wit: Bill Clinton was excommunicated by SBC leadership. Women Baptist preachers have been judged invalid and the congeegation removed from the SBC. In addition, SBC churches have been removed in Texas and North Carolina for accepting gay members. God didn't judge as far as i know, only the so-called 'de-centralized leadership in Nashville.
The Church and pastor apologized to the public, not the couple. Big difference. Coming out to the news and apologizing but not making that apology privately is a bigger insult. Thats like apologizing for getting caught.
So in essense, refuse first then apologise later? What where the reasons for refusing the wedding in the first place? A wedding that had been planned for many months then asked to move because some people didn't want to see what? .. a wedding..or two black people being married in their church? And you wonder why people have such a bad feeling towards all faiths that pretend to preach one thing then do the other. So you spit in someone's face then say sorry later eh? Their day is ruined..and why should they have to go to a "black"church..I thought god loved everybody and all christians were loving and fair minded?I guess not..lol. Apologize through crocodile tears, and remember the lord is watching you all, even those that dont want their fellow different coloured church goers to get married in their Church and still sing about god's love for all.
Some more than others eh 🙂
Wrong. I'm judging them. The pastor is a whimp with no back bone. The members who initiated this are vile. They have not begun to apologize enough.
If the church is truly sorry about this incident, why not throw a party for the happy couple at the church? That would be proof that they really are sorry about the whole thing and want to make it up to the Wilsons.
Remember the teaching Jesus gave about those who publically pray and beat their chests compared to the ones who pray silently? The public "holy" get their reward because they get the admiration of the people for how holy they are. But the one who prays quietly out of public view reaps heavenly rewards. This apology is the public showing. And if the church never approached the Wilson's then shame on them.
Now what would be a good story is if the church approached the Wilsons, and then THE WILSONS came forward and said, the church made a mistake. That would be the Christian thing to do from all points of view– the church being sorry, the Wilsons forgiving, and then they are being extra forgiving by letting everyone know it's been fixed. The way this has happened is the reverse of the Christian forgiveness, so no, it isn't in the Wilson's court.
Except it's not really over. This is just a painful reminder that racism is still alive and well in the US. These were issues face 50+ years ago. And they are still happening. Not by some hate group, but by a recognized Church.
The pastor was a coward. He should have responded to the complainers immediately by telling them if they didn't like the wedding they should find another church to attend. End of controversy. At the very least, he should be moved to a new church. Personally, I would fire him.
Then it would have been necessary to fire the majority of Baptist preachers.
I don't see a problem with firing them all if they are like that.
How much money did they have to pay YOU pastor to get the blacks out of THEIR church at the last minute. I hope it was worth it. NO SORRY now will make up for what you did and to still call yourself a man of GOD. People like you are the casue of preaching all this hate. DON't YOU know some people are fooled by anything. And for a dollar you pastors will say and do anything in the name of God. YOU got caught!! you are not sorry.
A white couple would not have to go to a white chuch. This would not have happened to them. A black minister would have married them without thinking twice.
The first time I got married it was by a black preacher in a predominantly, black church. It was the church I attended as a child but was not curretly a member. The preacher gave us counseling and married us and there was never a hint of bigotry. The hate in this country seems to be increasing but this is old hat for Mississippi; been around for years down there!!
Black ministers in Mass. and Uganda repectively refused to wed a white couple in Mass. and a black couple in Uganda.