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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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Why don't you just not have your wedding in a church? I know it's how typical Christian weddings are but it's not like God is going to curse your marriage if you don't have it in a chruch.
Seriously. It's this kinda crap that gives atheists fuel. A few people always have to give us Christians a bad name.
You have a bad name because you are literally worse than non-believers in every single category any sane person can think of.
You divorce at higher rates,
You are dumber academically,
You are backward scientifically,
You are fatter,
You are just as racist
For a people who claims to have a relationship with Almighty God, you sure display NO EVIDENCE of it. If you really knew God, there is just no way you would end up looking WORSE than we do.
Too bad more people don't follow their religions, which start out with something akin to being good to thy neighbor. People, just try to do better. I would guess that God is really tired and bored with dealing with discrimination and bad stuff. I don't talk to God, but behaving that way in this day and age, .....really?
The other day I went to a Hindu Krishna temple.. It was nice to see people of different color together. The preacher was a white... Krishna (Hindu god) I am told was of dark skin... Me and my fiance plan to get maried there.
The relegion that looks upon every one as the same is Hinduism. I am going to the temple every day now... Also I am a vegetarian now. "Hare Krishna"
I went to ISKCON for free food. Well the preacher was an African American... They worship a black god.
How very sad that you've mired yourself in a sad sick religion. Religion comforts...and cripples. Please wake up and grow up. The concepts of Compassion, Honor and Responsibility were around LONG before religion showed up. Religion and belief in it is childish. Cut it out. Wake up. Thanks! 😉
alright church I like the F-35 fighter do you know anything about that then.
I don't think most of the church leadership actually wanted to ask them to move the wedding. What appears to have happened to me is that at least one large donor to the church threatened to "take his contribution elsewhere" if the wedding was allowed to proceed. It's a shame that the church leadership didn't trust enough in God's providence to tell that particular member or members to get bent. They let their fear and worry overcome their love for the people they were supposed to be shepherding.
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Please grow up. We need sane people. Religion comforts...and cripples. Time to grow up now.
Prayer changes things
Prayer does not; you are such a LIAR. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.
An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.
The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs! ,
Wrong again. It is belief in that which does not exist that is sad and damaging to the sane mind. Please grow up and get free of the childish religion you are a slave to. To be grow all the way up. Quit looking for something to worship. Wake up now.
It appears that prayer changes people into spiteful, hateful intolerant people.
Question: If God is omniscient – then what is going to happen is all part of his perfect plan ( he knows what will happen) and is going to happen anyway. Who are you to ask him to change it? Or is he like a cheap politician – changing his actions according to public opinion polls?
These are not Christians but racists. The pastor is so pathetically weak he had not the moral courage to lead and rather acted as a lamb. Shame on this church and they should close the doors of this morally bereft assembly of racists.
The pastor should be let go or fired or whatever the correct word or term. He is the head of the Church and is to direct the congregation. He should have stood his ground and knew full well he had the might and backing of God. He failed himself, his congregation and God.
Your comment shows that you don't understand how these little baptist churches work. In a nutshell the elder members of the church are members of a 'Board' that really administers the affairs of the church. The board hires, fires, and if necessary disciplines the pastor. The pastor has no real authority. Of course a strong pastor should lead his congregation and provide an example. This pastor, from what I read, did what he could, short of disobeying the board, which could instantly get him fired. I think he should have refused to go along with this and carried on until he was fired, but not everyone is that strong. I would have gone ahead and married the couple in the church and left my letter of Resignation with the board the next day.
Bobby M is right. It is very likely some Board members objected to it, and he might very well have lost his job had he continued. For that reason, I would take the apology pretty cynically. There would have been no apology if this news story hadn't created a firestorm. And while I'm sure there are congregants who shared those Board members' racist views, it is not fair to paint them all with the same brush. Nevertheless, should I ever be near their church on a Sunday – I'll find someplace else to worship: I highly doubt any Board members will be replaced due to this. Why? Because Board members are also frequently the wealthiest church members.
Who cares what a dumb church says anyway? They are just a bunch of dim wits who are misinterpreting spirit with their dumb ideas of foolish nonsense. Our creation is a mystery and anyone who claims to know the whole story is just stupid.
Tell that church to stick that apology up their a$$.
Show me a white person remember Christ before his color and I will show you a true Christian.
This congregation calls themselves Christian? You've got to be kidding. In 2012 we still have the haters in full force. Sad. They will all pay for this down the road. The Devil always has followers and this church is Satan's house.
Hopefully they will come to their senses once they see how foolish they look on the news.
Sure they're "Christians". That's what "Christians" do best these days, judge others as "unfit". Christians are CREEPY and Satanic. Hey Christians, drink any blood lately? LOL!!! No really, you're sick. Seek help.
They just don't want to be sued. I think to little to late..Lawsuit for discrimination, which the pastor knew, all along..I would have never even let him conduct the ceremony, because he apparently has some under lining issues with race as well.
Its called, due ot the bad press he is back stepping. Never trust a Baptist to do the right thing the first time around.
I think churches are one of the few places where discrimination is legally allowed. Not sure the couple has grounds for a law suit, but maybe.
To make the apology solid, the course of action is clear: marry a black couple in the church.
the thing i love is most racists, don't think they are racist....... they tell people " i have black and mexican friends i'm not racist."
lmfao what these freaks don't know is it isn't whether you're friends with folks of different ethnicity it's how you value those people. if you have ethnic friends but look "down your nose" at them; then yes you guessed it "YOU ARE A RACIST
Tom Tom...of course marriage existed long before Jesus. But Jesus did away with the old ceremonial laws of the Old Testament. And it makes no differerence to me if you don't believe in the Bible. I am not responsible for you. Those of us who do have the right to our beliefs just as you have the right to yours.
Your beliefs are irrelevant to those who don't share them and you have no right to attempt to impose them on others.
Marriage also existed outside of the Old Testament as well. Jesus' supposed words have no authority over marriage. Marriage is a civil matter in this country. Any religious aspect is purely a personal ceremonial choice. Thus any religious argument about restricting it should be null and void. (which is slowly happening.)
@JANE: as i recall didn't jesus say he did NOT come to abolish those laws in the OT? only to fullfill them. lmao
MarkinFL
.............. Any religious aspect is purely a personal ceremonial choice. Thus any religious argument about restricting it should be null and void. (which is slowly happening.)
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Exactly, Christians are slow and fight against civil rights but slowly they get it. If only we could explain our laws in the form of a Nascar race...it might click in their heads then. We msut be patient with our drippy drooly Christians that drag their knuckles on the ground dragging their crosses behind them. Slow minded beasts they are.
Uh Tom Tom – you're imposing yours right now. And so are many other atheists in these comments. And yes, so are Christians. Guess what? We're all human beings and the very act of living means we impose our will and beliefs on others. Our words and actions are an outward reflection of what's inside of us. And because Christians are still human beings means we're going to fail to do the right thing many times. And this church is a sad example of that fact.
First Off I believe in God.......I don't believe in the big box chuches.........a church is building nothing more and can be anywhere .......churches get away with alot.........no taxes yet its the biggest business in the world. Most churches and there members are only true to God on sunday morning after that the rest of the week they do thier own thing right or wrong and go back the next Sunday and start all over...........how many times have you seen a criminals family on tv saying he was such a good church going boy??? He went to a building on sunday thats it.......if he would have lived a Christain life he wouldn't be in the place he was in. A church is a building sticks and stones nothing more. These people weren't christains..........just people that dressed up went to church to be seen. This couple found out what type of people go to this church.
The problem with some religious people is, they think it is justified to be a racist! God never instructed people to hate! The whole world is in religion war, because of hate! I think the baptist church came under international pressure! That's why the apology came, but it isn't sincere! White American's living in fear of race! another fool just killed some Sikhs people for no reason at all. Hate is a fustration and comes from fear!
Luke 14:26. Never is a big word.
To be sure, there are plenty of racists in all religions, and plenty of hatred and intolerance of views other than their own, regardless of the religion. But xenophobia sure doesn't need a religion to thrive – it just needs a couple of human beings who are intolerant of each other. It is an ugly part of the human condition. Those who look in the mirror and remember what they saw will find their way out. Those who look and forget, never will.