City of Crystal Springs reacts to black couple's wedding banned from Baptist Church

I'm not sure what forum this should go in.

CRYSTAL SPRINGS, MS (WLBT) - People in Crystal Springs and around the country are weighing in on an eye-opening story you saw first on WLBT News Thursday.

An African American couple was not allowed to get married at a predominantly white church.

Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson were all set to have their wedding ceremony at the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs, until a group of members said they didn't want the ceremony held there because of the couple's race.

City of Crystal Springs react....

Wow what can you say about this? 2012 and Racism is alive and well in Mississippi and in Church. How are these people gonna feel when heaven is multicultural, like these people will ever see heaven!!

Here is another link on the story:

Fox 6 in Alabama reports that the couple had booked the church and distributed invitations only to find out that the church's congregation had decided that the Wilsons, an African American couple, could not tie the knot in their church.

"The church congregation had decided no black could be married at that church, and that if he went on to marry her, then they would vote [the pastor] out the church," Charles Wilson told Fox.

link

CNN video stated that they were told the day before there wedding.

Sounds like the couple went out of their way to choose a church that might cause controversy.

Great way to receive unexpected wedding gifts. $$$$

I smell a scam.

The church has a right to refuse whomever they wish.

That being said....

Being a Christian this really grinds my gears. It is ludicrous to prevent anyone from being married for these reasons and stuff like this is what makes folks hate Christians and Christianity in general. Churches I have attended are open to anyone of any race, sex, etc. If I stepped in one that did not...I would step right back out....very quickly.

The congregation should be ashamed for not standing up for this IMO. God doesn't see color, only ignorant people do.

It's great to see that many people are reacting to this story in a manner that places what it means to be human and connected above individualism and prejudice or discrimination.

But that's where this line of good reasoning ends, and decides to take an acute angle back into the depths of ignorance.

Seriously people... each individual church represents a different doctrine or dogma, many contributing factors manifest into what they represent. You want protection of religion? Well... this happens, get over it. Marriage originated from a religious ceremony any damn way. Just because the 'Government' decides to recognize, what some jack wagons call... a 'civil' union is the only thing that gave you the feeling that you have the 'right' to do something about it. You don't like it, well too damn bad... because maybe they don't like your lifestyle. So what now? You learn to be tolerant of intolerance, you have to be... it's either that, or we dictate one another. Well, I like freedom... I know I don't want my life dictated for me!

This 'church' can do whatever the hell pleases them(pun intended)...
Don't support this church if you do not agree...
Sure... cry, bitch, and complain... but as soon as someone suggests that 'something should be done', that's where the line finds a new vertex and creates a geometry of philosophy that can't carry it's own weight.

Originally posted by Carseller4
Sounds like the couple went out of their way to choose a church that might cause controversy.

Great way to receive unexpected wedding gifts. $$$$

I smell a scam.

They would have had to make the arrangements with the Pastor before hand. So, he would have approved it. Who's scamming who?

If he knew his church wouldn't want this, why approve it? If he's in the pulpit he's preaching the exact message of the people so why all of a sudden does he first approve and then follow the wishes of the church.

Now his Church is in the news. Nice way to get a few more parishioners in the pews and amp up the Sunday collection plate. Add this to spreading their 'No Blacks Allowed' to a Country wide audience for 15 minutes.

I believe the scam comes from the top on this one.

Peace

Originally posted by Kangaruex4Ewe
...Churches I have attended are open to anyone of any race, sex, etc...

...The congregation should be ashamed for not standing up for this IMO. God doesn't see color, only ignorant people do.

edit on 7/27/2012 by Kangaruex4Ewe because: (no reason given)

Funny, that so often that doesn't apply to sexuality...

Anyway, no one should be surprised. It's Mississippi (they barely allow for emergency abortions) and these are Southern Baptists. (See the recent Chik-fil-A controversy...)

In the South there are white churches and black churches for the most part. And, if you are lucky enough to live in a moderately large city, you might find a racially integrated church but aside from mega churches and some Catholic Churches, it's rare - most especially in small towns like this.

reply to post by jude11


It's not uncommon for a Pastor/Priest/Minister to have one idea of how to run a church and the church elders or whatever have an entirely different view.

He or she takes direction from God , the Bible and the central church whereas the elders often think they *are* God.

Originally posted by LDragonFire
I'm not sure what forum this should go in.

CRYSTAL SPRINGS, MS (WLBT) - People in Crystal Springs and around the country are weighing in on an eye-opening story you saw first on WLBT News Thursday.

An African American couple was not allowed to get married at a predominantly white church.

Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson were all set to have their wedding ceremony at the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs, until a group of members said they didn't want the ceremony held there because of the couple's race.

City of Crystal Springs react....

Wow what can you say about this? 2012 and Racism is alive and well in Mississippi and in Church. How are these people gonna feel when heaven is multicultural, like these people will ever see heaven!!

Send them to my church, we'll take them. All who serve Christ are brothers and sisters in his blood regardless of ethnicity. Jesus is colorblind to those kinds of things.

Originally posted by kosmicjack

Originally posted by Kangaruex4Ewe
...Churches I have attended are open to anyone of any race, sex, etc...

...The congregation should be ashamed for not standing up for this IMO. God doesn't see color, only ignorant people do.

edit on 7/27/2012 by Kangaruex4Ewe because: (no reason given)

Funny, that so often that doesn't apply to sexuality...

Anyway, no one should be surprised. It's Mississippi (they barely allow for emergency abortions) and these are Southern Baptists. (See the recent Chik-fil-A controversy...)

In the South there are white churches and black churches for the most part. And, if you are lucky enough to live in a moderately large city, you might find a racially integrated church but aside from mega churches and some Catholic Churches, it's rare - most especially in small towns like this.

edit on 7/27/2012 by kosmicjack because: (no reason given)

I am in the South and am far too aware of the Black/White churches but in my experience it is usually self-segregated. But most all of them are more than open to having other races attend their services and homecomings. The last church I was a member of was pretty 50/50, but it was a large church.

By the sex part... there are churches still in my area that use separate doors and separate sides of the aisle for gender. Women can not even sit with their husbands. They must sit on their side of the church. It's a bit extreme for me. There is no fraternizing among the sexes before or during services. Ladies are excluded from anything other than the daycare service. They are not allowed to "speak" (By that, I do not mean preach) in church (according to the old laws from what I can gather). This is still discrimination to me all be it on another level.

All the obvious things will be said here, no need for me to repeat them. Was anyone struck by the fact that the church was described as "predominantly white?" Not exclusively white. I'm confused by the others' presence if some members of the congregation were so upset about a marriage. Not for the first time I'm wondering if something else is going on.

Originally posted by Carseller4
Sounds like the couple went out of their way to choose a church that might cause controversy.

Great way to receive unexpected wedding gifts. $$$$

I smell a scam.

Even if it is a scam, good for them for exposing a completely backwards and corrupt church.

Why are churches allowed to claim a tax exempt status while enforcing discriminatory policies that completely violate people's equal rights?

reply to post by Carseller4


Why would any church cause controversy ? Thats a stupid evaluation...a church is a church and the doors should be open to any and all. The day we make our churches a harbor for bigots and racist is a day that God should strike the end to this world.

I am flabergasted that this happened and embarrased as a white person that this happened. I am not the most religious person the planet but this is unreal and for you to say what you have explains the mentality of the members of this church Shame on Us All black and white for ever having got to this point or at least never putting it behind us.

We are all the same...blacks whites hispanics and asians and whatever ethnic background you want to put out out...our blood is the same and our dna and genes are the same...someday but I doubt it perhaps we can all take lessons from children who dont seem to harbor these feelings except after we taught them...I am ashamed

Here's a little more information from a nearby paper:Clarion-Ledger

The church’s pastor, Rev. Stan Weatherford, married the couple, but moved the ceremony to a nearby church.

Weatherford acknowledged some members of the church were concerned about the black couple being married in the church. No black couple has been married in the church in recent memory.

Wilson said he had been attending the church for about a month and his now wife had been attending for more than a year.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


Excuse me ? Cant be homosexual and christian ? Have you lost your mind....my god what have we done to ourselves. Sin is Sin and IF God considers Homosexuality to be a sin he forgives that sin as he does the same for you judging others.

the story you recite is simply a story and no evidence exist to show it actually occured and since it has never happened again with all the sin that is taking place in this world then God must be happy with two loving people no matter their sex...

show me one example of Gods modern wrath beacuse of homsexuality...the only wrath i see is from people too nosy to mind their own business...why does it bother you what happens in someones bedroom....need I point out the many Christian Leaders caught with their pants down with a member of the same sex...

this is a sorry world because of God if this is what he is worried about when children starve and men and women and children die because of wars started in his name...forgive me but that is one pathetic God and you provide another example of one sorry follower.

reply to post by DJMSN

Excuse me ? Cant be homosexual and christian ? Have you lost your mind....my god what have we done to ourselves. Sin is Sin and IF God considers Homosexuality to be a sin he forgives that sin as he does the same for you judging others.

I didn't say you couldn't be saved, but if you carry the preconcieved notion that you were born homosexual then you have decieved yourself. you can be a disciple but once you give your life to Christ if you truly do he takes that from you. Scripture states clearly that homosexuals, nor murderers, nor thieves or idolaters and the sexually immoral do not go to heaven and that means you cannot be christian or messianic jew. After you are saved you become a new creature and are to put down your old life, if you can't then you were never saved. Salvation is not a license to licentiousness, that is what the nicolaitans teach.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


Well Moses as a murder (at the ripe age of ten so he was an early go-getter) of alleged thousands would be surprised at your interp of Corithians as it is stated he went to the promised land so your misquote on murders not allowed in heaven is mistaken as there are others thru out the bible to have commited that particular sin.

Since the thread is about the inane actions of some sorry Christians and the bigotry they displayed we should remain focused on that topic but any God that would allow a murderer of children or anyone else cannot be a just God if he would not forgive a loving couple who lived by his word otherwise.

The same book you misquoted also states women...and pretty clearly....that women are top remain silent in the church but since that is no longer taught why is it that homosexuals and not the bigots in the church will go to hell...and I never claimed homosexuality only that it does not bother me who someone goes to bed with in their own home.

The point is that bigotry and hate has no place in our church nor Gods church and it is for him and him alone to judge the hearts of man....and that includes homsexuals and yes murders but these people have taken it upon themselves to exclude a hetrosexual couple from the rite of marriage because of color...it seems we agree that is wrong so we shall leave our discussion there and perhaps reserve our thoughts on homosexuality for another thread.

OP I apologize for derailing your discussion but thank you for bringing this to our attention. It is a shame that we as humans still behave with hatred in our hearts yet praise our selves before God while excluding people of color and those whose behavior we record as sin.

Lol and people still want the states to have unlimited power.

2nd

(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.

link

Giving credit when its due.