Church stops black wedding

[Lewis]

Mississippi couple told they can't get married because they are black

Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson were told by Pastor Stan Weatherford that some of his congregation would have him fired if he allowed the couple to marry in the church. Source: Supplied

A MISSISSIPPI couple was told by a pastor that they could not get married at their church because they were black. Pastor Stan Weatherford told ABC television on Saturday that there had never been a wedding for blacks at the First Baptist Church in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, since it was opened in 1883.
He said some of the white congregation so virulently opposed the wedding of Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson, who are black, that they threatened to have him fired.


Mr Weatherford, a pastor who is white, offered to wed the Wilsons down the road at a mostly black church, he told the network.
"My 9-year-old was going to the church with us. How would you say to your 9-year-old daughter, 'We cannot get married here because, guess what sweetie, we're black,'" Charles Wilson told ABC's affiliate WAPT-TV.

The would-be groom told WAPT that the couple intended to join the church as members after their wedding, which was planned for July 20. Until they got the bad news that forced them to move their ceremony to another church where it was held on July 21.


Locals voiced shock at the pastor's move.
"That church was their home," said local resident Theresa Norwood, 48. "What would Jesus have done? He would have married them, without a doubt, because it's the right thing to do. We're all God's children," she said.

 

[farouk]

Sounds like the white supremacist crazies are still at it after all these years...

But there's probably also an agenda with the secular media. There will be folk who would just love to make the Feds responsible for muscling into all sorts of real and imagined local grievances.

 

[Lewis]

My thing is, what Bible are they reading. We are all God's creation and He would not have made something that He did not want here. The Bible says in Acts 17:26 That from one blood He made all nations of men. It did not say 2 bloods. These people are not true Christians.

 

[farouk]

My thing is, what Bible are they reading. We are all God's creation and He would not have made something that He did not want here. The Bible says in Acts 17:26 That from one blood He made all nations of men. It did not say 2 bloods. These people are not true Christians.

Lewis: True Christians can sometimes be sadly mistaken and I don't know their doctrine. But you are right: this is not Biblical behavior.

And it's likely to be used by secularists who have plenty of agendas of their own.

 

[Mike S]

This church has a serious problem. It can not come as a surprise to the pastor that there are a few people in the congregation that cause that much problem. It should have been dealt with before, and HAS to be dealt with now. The pastor needs to make it crystal clear that the couple can be married in the church if they still want to...and the people causing the trouble need to be counseled.

I recently had to talk seriously with a couple in our own congregation about the trouble their attitude (decidedly un-Christian) was causing others, and that they would have to change or leave. The pastor and I had tried working diplomatically with them using Christian compassion, but they chose to leave.

This kind of church problem cannot be left to festor. No member of the church should ever be a stumbling block to Christian brothers and sisters.

 

[farouk]

This church has a serious problem. It can not come as a surprise to the pastor that there are a few people in the congregation that cause that much problem. It should have been dealt with before, and HAS to be dealt with now. The pastor needs to make it crystal clear that the couple can be married in the church if they still want to...and the people causing the trouble need to be counseled.

I recently had to talk seriously with a couple in our own congregation about the trouble their attitude (decidedly un-Christian) was causing others, and that they would have to change or leave. The pastor and I had tried working diplomatically with them using Christian compassion, but they chose to leave.

This kind of church problem cannot be left to festor. No member of the church should ever be a stumbling block to Christian brothers and sisters.

mark:

Well, yes, exactly.

And this kind of irresponsibility just plays into the hand of the liberal-media-secularist network with their innate antagonism towards so much that is Christian. It's not representative, but there are people out there who would like to pretend it is, and push for further secularization (which means more government busybodying).

 

[reba]

some folks just make ya sick :verysick

 

[farouk]

some folks just make ya sick :verysick

... and you bet secular folk will bombard the media for all it's worth, demanding more and more government intrusion, because of a few sick folk.

 

[Mike S]

mark:

Well, yes, exactly.

And this kind of irresponsibility just plays into the hand of the liberal-media-secularist network with their innate antagonism towards so much that is Christian. It's unrepresentative, but there are people out there who would like to pretend it is, and push for further secularization (which means more government busybodying).

I understand, farouk, you're right.

 

[one truth]

This is terrible. That poor couple having to go through that. These are the kinds of people that give Christianity a bad name. Of course the media feeds off it as well. So sad.

 

[farouk]

This is terrible. That poor couple having to go through that. These are the kinds of people that give Christianity a bad name. Of course the media feeds off it as well. So sad.

...but that same secular, liberal, supposedly tolerant media is often full of indignation if Christians express views different from theirs. This kind of news story is valid, poor couple, but the media's treatment of it is also likely to be smoke and mirrors.

 

[one truth]

...but that same secular, liberal, supposedly tolerant media is often full of indignation if Christians express views different from theirs. This kind of news story is valid, poor couple, but the media's treatment of it is also likely to be smoke and mirrors.

This is true. The media will try and make it sound like Christians are the bad guys.

 

[farouk]

This is true. The media will try and make it sound like Christians are the bad guys.

Yes, the liberal media will make out they are the good guys, Christians are the bad guys, and then in the same breath want to promote religious radicals in the Middle East to replace more secular regimes.

 

[Lewis]

The secular media has already jumped on this it was on every Philadelphia tv news station and we have 4

 

[abide]

Mississippi couple told they can't get married because they are black

Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson were told by Pastor Stan Weatherford that some of his congregation would have him fired if he allowed the couple to marry in the church. Source: Supplied

A MISSISSIPPI couple was told by a pastor that they could not get married at their church because they were black. Pastor Stan Weatherford told ABC television on Saturday that there had never been a wedding for blacks at the First Baptist Church in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, since it was opened in 1883.
He said some of the white congregation so virulently opposed the wedding of Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson, who are black, that they threatened to have him fired.


Mr Weatherford, a pastor who is white, offered to wed the Wilsons down the road at a mostly black church, he told the network.
"My 9-year-old was going to the church with us. How would you say to your 9-year-old daughter, 'We cannot get married here because, guess what sweetie, we're black,'" Charles Wilson told ABC's affiliate WAPT-TV.

The would-be groom told WAPT that the couple intended to join the church as members after their wedding, which was planned for July 20. Until they got the bad news that forced them to move their ceremony to another church where it was held on July 21.


Locals voiced shock at the pastor's move.
"That church was their home," said local resident Theresa Norwood, 48. "What would Jesus have done? He would have married them, without a doubt, because it's the right thing to do. We're all God's children," she said.

Is it any wonder people accuse Christians of hypocrisy. This shows that racism is still alive and well. The church is the most racist institution in the world. The church is the only institution that continues to maintain its racist policy. I would bet my last dollar that the same church would not think twice before they took the couple's money if they were paying tithe. I read where a hispanic member of the SDA church visited Miami once and he and his family came to church which was all white and the pastor encouraged him to visit another one which was mixed a couple miles away.

I am wondering which bible they are reading. A PERSON CANNOT BE A CHRISTIAN AND RACIST AT THE SAME TIME. No wonder blacks have formed their own churches. Only a person who suffers from an inferiority complex would think this way. Why would someone feel that they cannot performed a wedding for a black couple.

No wonder when Christ returns he will say to some..Depart from me I never knew you.


http://click.infospace.com/ClickHan...4&mid=9&hash=E82B6CE259A0A6271AC4DDB456903AE2

Pride is at the basis of racism and proud person who looks down on another person, will not lift his head to someone who is greater than him..the one is God.

As a young girl growing up in Barbados, whites always had the upper hand. They controlled the financial sector, the banks and the Anglican churches. Blacks could not sit in the front pews. After free secondary education was given to all children in the 60's whites who went to school with black and became friends. When the parents felt that they were becoming too close, they would ship them off to Australia or New Zealand. Such stupidity. Now you can find the white women from Europe coming here as tourists and you can guess what they and the black men are involved in.

I will never understand why a person would not want to have any association with another person just because of the colour of their skin. This smacks of illiteracy. No wonder these racist people suffer from so many psychological problems. All I can do is shake my head.

I have a nephew who met a white girl from USA. They seem to love each other. Her parents came here and he visited the USA recently. The church decided that they cannot marry because...THEY ARE OF TWO DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS. The amazing thing people are advocating for two men to married. The whole thing would be laughable, if it were not so tragic.

 

[Danus]

:eeeekkk What? :o............... I just researched this to make sure it was true. What kind of leadership is this pastor providing? I spend enough time as it is defending this state I live in, but this is inexcusable. I have not seen this on the Memphis TN, news and it's on the news in other markets. :

 

[Danus]

Here is a local story on this where they interview the pastor. I'm thinking he may have taken the best action on this by not standing up to some of the members of his congregation and helping to expose this publicly. Listen to what he says. I honestly feel he said; "fine, I'll let this couple know how you feel and tell them they can't marry here because they are black and you don't like it." think about it, It's better if the media get's this story out.

[video=youtube;NHvnfMCs1Dg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHvnfMCs1Dg[/video]

 

[Nick]

Oh wow. I had hoped that this sort of thing did not happen in the West anymore. Especially in churches! It's a serious problem when a few in the congregation are not stood up to out of fear, even for the Truth. If this pastor does not feel he can effectively lead this congregation in a Biblical manner and counsel these powerful few, then he is not a very good pastor at all.

At the very least it seems the media coverage on this is a good thing. This is a case where this church should take a lecture from the world, and listen to what is right. Hopefully good comes out of this, but I really feel sorry for this black couple.

The pastor was worried he'd get fired because some in the congregation would not like a black couple to get married in his church. Perhaps the pastor should get fired because he seems incapable of being a leader.

This church has a serious problem. It can not come as a surprise to the pastor that there are a few people in the congregation that cause that much problem. It should have been dealt with before, and HAS to be dealt with now. The pastor needs to make it crystal clear that the couple can be married in the church if they still want to...and the people causing the trouble need to be counseled.

I recently had to talk seriously with a couple in our own congregation about the trouble their attitude (decidedly un-Christian) was causing others, and that they would have to change or leave. The pastor and I had tried working diplomatically with them using Christian compassion, but they chose to leave.

This kind of church problem cannot be left to festor. No member of the church should ever be a stumbling block to Christian brothers and sisters.

Indeed.

Out of curiosity, are you an elder/deacon? How big is your congregation?

 

[Danus]

At the very least it seems the media coverage on this is a good thing. This is a case where this church should take a lecture from the world, and listen to what is right. Hopefully good comes out of this, but I really feel sorry for this black couple.

The pastor was worried he'd get fired because some in the congregation would not like a black couple to get married in his church. Perhaps the pastor should get fired because he seems incapable of being a leader.

Nick I don't know how good the media coverage will ultimately be, I mean it will get dirty for some people, but at least the pastor exposed the individuals some what.

Nothing much we'll be able to say when Al and Jessy get down here will bull horns and signs.

I don't know...this is a hard one to decide on how best to handle it. Mississippi is predominantly black, but it has a dark history and that's not a pun. This has historically been the most outwardly racist state in the union, and here we see it again. 2012.

 

[Mike S]

Oh wow. I had hoped that this sort of thing did not happen in the West anymore. Especially in churches! It's a serious problem when a few in the congregation are not stood up to out of fear, even for the Truth. If this pastor does not feel he can effectively lead this congregation in a Biblical manner and counsel these powerful few, then he is not a very good pastor at all.

At the very least it seems the media coverage on this is a good thing. This is a case where this church should take a lecture from the world, and listen to what is right. Hopefully good comes out of this, but I really feel sorry for this black couple.

The pastor was worried he'd get fired because some in the congregation would not like a black couple to get married in his church. Perhaps the pastor should get fired because he seems incapable of being a leader.


Indeed.

Out of curiosity, are you an elder/deacon? How big is your congregation?

I think you're right. The pastor needs to be a stronger leader for defending and nurturing the faith. He made a mistake here, IMO, by not standing up for the couple. If he can't defend the faith in small things, how can he expect the congregation to trust him on larger theolgical issues? What moral authority does he speak with now?

I'm the Lay Leader in a medium sized United Methodist Church in Connecticut. We have a congregation of about 300. The responsibilities of a Lay Leader in the UMC is probably not of much interest to anyone outside the church, but a prime responsibility is to provide the pastor with a close connection to issues of the congregation. We have an intinerant ministry in the UMC, meaning the pastor is not employed by the congregation, he's employed by the larger Annual Conference and is assigned annually by the Bishopto whatever congregation the Bishop feels will benefit most from his particular strengths. So, a congregation may have the same pastor assigned to their church for 20 years in a row, or they may get a new pastor every 2 or 3 years. There are advantages and disadvantages to that system, but one thing is certain, if a pastor is brand new to a congregation, he needs someone who knows the congregation, to support him.

Also, the congregation does not hire and fire pastors, so in the UMC there could have been no such threat to this pastor.

In the case I mentioned in my own church, we have a new pastor with just one year experience, and it's my responsibility to see opportunities for him to offer spiritual help, or to alert him to developing problems. My congregation is majority black, BTW, our new pastor is Nigerian, I'm white, and the troubled couple was white.