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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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As more of these churches are exposed for what they are they'll have to work harder to keep those pews filled. Why anyone goes to a church in the first place is beyond me but more power to them if that's what rocks their boat. People begin to look for alternatives and maybe in the process they'll start asking the question "why do we need to even go through this formality to feel good about ourselves?"
LOL soon they'll be apologizing for not marrying gay people, too. So let's see what religion and republicans have done for us lately: slavery, racism, anti-gay-etc., tax cuts for the rich, program cuts for the poor, failure of education, failure of the post office, failure in foreign policy, two wars, thousands of americans dead, failure of the economy, failure of controlling comcast's monopoly, failure to bring high speed internet to the US, failure to regulate wall street banks... etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. wow. churches and republicans... we don't need them.
"failure to regulate wall street banks" ... you mean that republican bill clinton that repealed glass- stegal?
God did not abolish slavery humans did. 11th commandment "Thou shell not enslave...." does not exist.
All races have been slaves at some point in history, but there is only one race that is still complaining about it and using it as a social crutch to this day.
It all makes sense now. God is a republican and Jesus is a democrat.
This is one of the saddest things (besides child molestation) that I have heard a church do. Did I read this article incorrectly or did the same pastor marry them but in a different church? If so, I wouldn't have that pastor anywhere near my wedding. They are only sorry now because it has been made public and they have been shown to be bigots. It is so sad what the church has become. When I say the church, I mean church in general. In politics, religion is playing a very hurtful role. In general, it has become about money. I do not believe I will ever set foot in a church again. I can believe in God right from my very own house. My friends have strong faiths (all different faiths) and I will stick to communing with them.
Apology not accepted. Just window dressing
One was never required.
Oh please, they are just sorry it got so much publicity. If they could openly segregate they would do it without hesitation.
The pastor was a total freaking wuss for cow towing to whomever wanted the wedding moved .
A pastor WITH a Soul ( ya that's a Lot to expect from a religious leader ) would have told the sociopaths to get a live and move on .
I'm surprised the couple wanted to keep such a loooooooooooser for a pastor .
He is 'sorry' because he got caught & decent people called him out for being a FAKE Christian pastor .
{ Whom ever requested the change is a minion of satan but people expect more from a pastor }
you dont even know why they requested the change....
The biggest donors wanted it moved.
Yes, but why? CNN obviously wants you to think it was racial...but was it? who knows? the story doesnt say...
Someone here clearly didn't read the article fully. The members who complained complained because it would have set a precedent as the first black wedding in the church. It's quite clearly explained, with supporting quotes from those involved.
@Comment – the pastor came to them and said some of the congregation did not want them married in that church because they were black. It may not say it here but he said it himself and it was in the articles a couple of weeks ago when it first broke.
I hope every black reads this-this is how gays are hated-you have one church hating you, gays have half the country. Get on the right side of equality if you aren't already. Religious leaders are NOT your friends-million still think you are less than whites. Support equality-it is the winning side-and it is RIGHT.
There are liberal religious communities where this type of bigotry is non-existant. Not ALL religious leaders are supremacists?
Stop it.
Are you always looking over your shoulder to see who "hates" you?
If this Church is truly sorry they should encourage other black couples to get married there.
You nailed it.
If they're truly "sorry", then lets get another (non-white) wedding scheduled for next weekend.
Racist? Must be republican
Probably good ol' Southern Democrats.
They used to be Southern Democrats until the Civil Rights bill became law. Now they are Republicans.
JustMe
Probably good ol' Southern Democrats.
=====
IE: today's Republicans
Why would you ask a church to marry you if you're not a member of that church?
I just have lots of questions. They may be very, very nice people....probably are. The pastor seems a little weak. The parishioners that were against it......why?.....(doesn't really say why. maybe it was because they were not members. who knows.) But again, if you're getting married for the religious aspect, shouldn't you be a member of the church? If you don't care about the religious aspect, why not have your ceremony elsewhere?
This is a story with a lot of detail omitted.
I agree, it doesn't even really say the parishoners were against because they were african-american (which is what the headline implies)....it could be for a number of reasons really. This is faulty reporting.
Since when is being a member a requirement? Maybe they just liked the place eh?
They attended the church. They had just not become official members. Are you saying unless they are official members of a church they should not be allowed to be married?
As the President of a congregation, let me state that it is a JOY for a couple (any couple) to want to be married in our sanctuary. Jesus was supposed to be about loving each other. This church is clearly not in line with his teachings.
Why are some people trying to make excuses for the church? The facts are right their in the article. The church has nothing to do with Christianity yet dares to call themselves Christian.
She'd been attending that church for over a year. He started attending in the past few months. They had not 'officially' been made members but they did attend there. There are a lot of people that aren't card-carrying members of a church but still partake of activities and services at churches. Many churches are popular spots for marriages without the couple actually being members.
@ Mary – You just have to look for additional information so you can find a reason to absolve this "Christian" church of inappropriate conduct. If you cannot find it you just say that the story is not detailed enough. Shame on you, Mary. BTW, change your name. You namesake was not the person you pretend to be.
I believe in a previous article it was stated that they are members of that church, but while its customary to be a member of a church that you are going to marry in its not a requirement. There are many wedding ceremonies that are preformed purely because of the beauty of the structure.
Henry, it's a poorly written story. They should've included more of the story from the CNN affiliate in this story. And to the other people asking...many churches require you to be of the same religion or even a member of the church to be maried in that church...common for catholics. stop hating on mary because she doesnt blindly condemn the whole church and religion.
...It clearly states in the article that people were protesting because it would have been the first African American wedding in the church since it was founded 150 years ago. Go back and re-read it, or look for other reports on this story.
Charles Wilson does not want to reconcile. He wants to sue.
Messed up thing to do, but it is their right
Pretty sure you're wrong on that. There was this law passed in the 1960's called the Civil Rights Act. You may have heard of it before.
D, the story doesnt even say why they werent allowed...
Yes it most certainly DOES state why: some parishioners were uncomfortable with setting a new precedent (ie: having a black wedding in the church)
i hope this causes the members of african-american churches who oppose gay marriage to look again at that stance, and perhaps reconsider the effects of their own bigotry.
Talk is cheap. If they are serious, they'd first name the members who opposed the wedding and then expel them from the congregation. Of course, these members should have the guts to come forward and state their opinions in the light of day, but they're most likely cowards who won't do that, so the church has an obligation to do it for them.
If the church is so sorry about what happened, then it has an obligation to root out the evil that caused it. Anything else is meaningless.
I'm soooo glad that I quite 'organized religion', because it made me more of a DEVIL than I alread was. I'm so sick of religion, but I love GOD.
Church sorry it gained a bad reputation and became world-famous for racism.
Cause GOD IS WHITE and CHRISTIAN and those he loves are RICH.
What's wrong with everyone...don't they know
well now its degraded to who called whom now? Really. Pastor was a racist and I have feeling HE was the one to not want them in the church. AND I think we can now stop milking the incident and its hurt. You are marrried and you are going to another church. START LIVING YOUR LIVES TOGETHER IN HAPPINESS AND BLESSINGS.