In a story that rivals the stupidity shown by a church in New York which dismissed a Sunday School teacher of many years because she was a woman, a church in Mississippi has voted to exclude African Americans from their membership. The full story is here, but it begins thusly:
SALTILLO – Twelve-year-old Joe recently asked Jesus to live in his heart. Yet the church where Joe accepted his Savior not even two weeks before will no longer allow the biracial boy to enter. On Aug. 6, during its scheduled Sunday night business meeting, Fellowship Baptist Church in Saltillo voted not to accept blacks within the church. More specifically, the congregation also voted Joe out and said he could not return.
That evening Fellowship Baptist did not just say goodbye to Joe and an entire race of humans. With that decision the church’s pastor, the Rev. John Stevens, resigned, and at least one other family decided not to return to the Baptist Missionary Alliance congregation that averages 30 people.
All I can say is that at least the pastor had the courage to resign.
This reminds me of a similar incident in the church I attended as a child. When a African American woman and her son began to attend our church (my father and I would pick them up and drop them off each Sunday), it was not too long before several members of the church stopped attending. And though no official vote was ever taken, my Father was quietly asked not to bring the woman and her son to church anymore. The gospel, it seems, has limits for some, both then and now.
I am also reminded of a story I shared in a recent sermon “God’s Yes in a World of No”
A man who was more than a little down on his luck, once went into a church to pray and worship.
His clothes were a little ragged,
and he wasn;t the cleanest person in the place,
but he wanted to worship, to seek God.
He entered the building and passed the greeters,
who were busy talking to each other.
When he walked in the sanctuary,
there was no one handing out bulletins because the ushers were busy talking with each other.
He got a bulletin himself and walked up the center aisle and sat down in the first pew.
As he was preparing himself to worship,
an older woman walked up to him and tapped his shoulder.
She told him that he was sitting in her seat and would need to sit somewhere else.
The man got up and moved to another seat in the middle of the church.
A few minutes later a man and his family came up to him and asked him to move,
because this was their family’s pew and they always sit there.
The man got up and found a seat in the back pew.
One of the ushers walked up to him and said that the man could not sit there because that was the usher’s pew.
And then when he noticed the man’s clothes and appearance,
the usher suggested that he not come back until he had more proper attire and cleaned himself up.
So the man got up and calmly left the church.
On the way down the street, the man saw Jesus walking toward him.
“Jesus, he said, Jesus. I was just in that church just trying to worship you,
but they wouldn’t let me sit in any of the seats,
and then someone even asked me to leave.
I’m so sorry Lord.”
Jesus put his hand on the man’s head and said,
“Don’t worry, my son.
I’ve been trying to get into that church for years.
They won’t let me in either.”
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I attempted to leave a comment earlier, Will, but the Devil was at work; for it never showed up. Nevertheless, I applaud that pastor for resigning on the spot, and I would have been walking out right by his side and giving Joe a big hug. Despite having been raised in the South, I was fortunate to have been raised by non-prejudicial parents; thus, I’ve never understood the mind of bigotry of any kind, especially on the grounds of nationality and color; more, because God says that we all are of one blood.
I was raised a Southern Baptist but, as an adult, the Holy Spirit led me elsewhere. In fact, the pastor of our new church home at the time– over 30 years ago– for many years had been a Methodist preacher. One week he decided to prepare a sermon on the Sabbath, but the more scriptures he gleaned the more alarmed he became that he might have been teaching a lie all those years.
So, in need of more indepth research, he set it aside. The research took him a full year, after which he promptly deliver a sermon about the true Sabbath, God’s Sabbath of the 4th precept. He was promptly fired, as he had expected would happen. If we aren’t being persecuted both by what appears to be God’s church and what only appear to be sheep as well as tormented by Satan; then we must question if we are speaking God’s Truth at all. Truth Speakers are consistently attacked by professed Christians; like Jesus, being accused of blasphemy and being false prophets. And, if Satan is doing his dead-level best to kill are flesh, then we are not Truth Speakers.
I would love to have been there when Brother Hancock delivered that Sabbath sermon. I would have walked out right by his side. As it was, I felt honored to know a truly godly man who stood for God’s Truths, despite any hardship it might have created.
bonnieq – One of God’s Pens
Unicorn Haven
That is so strange. It says I left the first response today but at 10:27pm. I don’t know where you are in the world, but I’m in Washington State and it is currently 3:29pm. LOL!
First, I applaud the pastor who resigned immediately and I would have been honored to walk out by his side while hugging Joe to my other side. After all, God said we are all “of one blood.” Color and Nationality are irrelevant when it comes to God and, since we are spirit beings inhabiting these flesh garments, we easily could have been dressed in another color than the one in which we find ourselves currently residing. In 62 years I’ve never understood the mind of bigotry, except they deny their own heritages.
I am reminded of the most godly pastor I’ve ever known. Having been raised a Southern Baptist and continued in that vain until the Holy Spirit grabbed hold of me about 31 years ago, we then made a change in our denominational home. Brother Hancock was the pastor, who had been a Methodist preacher for some 20 years prior. He told me his story about how he came to change his denominational home.
He decided one week to prepare a sermon about keeping the Sabbath. The more scriptures about the topic that he gleaned, the more alarmed he became that he might have been teaching a lie all those years. So, he set that plan aside for more indepth research, which took a year. With all the data now together, he proceeded to preach about God’s Sabbath, the true Sabbath, the next Sunday; after which he was promptly fired. He wasn’t surprised. I would have walked out by his side, knowing a man of God when I hear God’s Truth from his lips.
If professing Christians are not being persecuted by what appears to be the church, their own brethren calling them blasphemers and false prophets; and, if they are not being tormented physically by Satan with thorns of illnesses or diseases or injuries, then they should be questioning their own salvation. Sure, it’s really easy to live in this world if we both speak and live “smooth words,” but in the end we reap utter destruction.
As for me, I prefer to live and speak God’s “hard words” and rejoice in the persecution: for it only confirms that I bear the Seal of the One True Living God. I can so relate to Saul-called-Paul and the thorns in his side.
Thank you for this article, Will. The time is at hand and Jesus is even at the door. Bigotry is greater among those who speak lies in God’s name and it must be overcome.
Much love in Christ,
Bonnie Q
Unicorn Haven
Hi There
I Have found your blog’s url on my Friend’s (Glenn) site. Good to see!
Letting christmas fade off to the past and going thru some of my bookmarks…I was here before because I have this blog bookmarked
Not understanding all the details I wonder if you could explain a bit more. Sorry….Also, happy new year and thanks for helping!