Shame, shame on you, congregation of First Baptist Church in Crystal Springs, Mississippi!
Members of the church, who just happen to have black skin, wanted to be married. In their own church. And a few bad apples, who just happen to have white skin, pitched a fit – threatened to fire the pastor if he married them-because there had never been a “black” wedding in their 129 year old church.
News flash, First Baptist Church. It’s 2012. Prohibiting marriage because of skin color is old, old, even ancient, news. We’ve moved on to the gay marriage debate. Get with the program!
To my great relief, “the vast majority of Crystal Springs residents, blacks and whites alike, were “blown away” by the church’s decision.” (There is a God.)
But to my great embarassment, we made international news. (A God with a wry sense of humor and an obvious lesson in humility.)
The venue chosen. Invitations printed. RSVPs received. And then, the day before the big event?
Outrage from a few bad apples.
For shame!
To avoid marring their special day (and save his job), the pastor found another church so that the wedding may proceed.
Considering the outrage from local citizens and other church members, how about rallying around this couple and their guests, overshadow the few bad apples and allow the wedding to take place?
Just a thought.
Whatever.
It’s sad. It’s pathetic. And I apologize to my husband for not believing him when he told me about this story. (Yes, I admit it. I really was Googling it because I didn’t believe you. It wasn’t research for a blog post like I said.)
On this beautiful Sunday morn, whatever your beliefs, please say a prayer and/or send loving thoughts to the Crystal Springs couple, their family, their congregation and those few bad apples.
Not because it’s the Christian thing to do.
Because it’s the RIGHT thing to do.
Theycallmejane's Blog 
What a contradiction! We have a church of people supposedly following Christ, who loved and created us all. This church and its spinless pastor apparently don’t care for the way God created some in their congragation.
These people may do better attending a clan meeting than a “Christian church”!
AMEN!!!
I´m much more afraid of the Christian right wingers in the south, then of the little guy in IRAN!!!
Unbelievable that this kind of thing and attitude still exists!
That church WON’T last long – and by the way – it’s not “The Church” – it may be a social gathering under the disguise of a church, but it’s NOT the TRUE CHURCH of our Lord Jesus Christ…… Isn’t it amazing – that pastor will take their tithe & offerings – but “Won’t marry them??” And I’m a white person, if you want to put me in a category…. I’m a Christian – Also, I see NOWHERE in the Word of God that backs those beliefs – These are the type that our Jesus call a “Pharisee” – Religious and sincere – and I have a word for that pastor – Are you going to please “men” or are you going to please God – You cannot do both – sounds to me he has to please the people –
You could not have said it any better…God created us all EQUAL PERIOD. It is the pastor that is out of order here . God Bless this couples union…I pray it lasts forever…I do not like to be categorized but I am white as well. That doesn’t make me any better than anyone else no matter the color of skin..eyes..hair etc.
Amen to that. Sad. Just unbelievably sad.
Nice column. Totally agree with you (I haven’t seen one poster yet on any site agree with Weatherford’s decision). Unbelievable wimp-out by the pastor. But a small correction: the Wilsons were not members of the church. They had attended there, but were not long-time supporters. If they had been members, I suspect they would have had their wedding there. Not being members gave the minister another technicality. He could not have turned down actual members with the same ease.
I stand corrected. Thank you. (I still say they should have fully expected to be able to have their wedding at the church they were currently attending.)
So very sad that anyone thinks they are better than others because of their skin color. This Pastor needs to step down IF it’s true he caved to a few white racist’s demands. I wish the happy couple all the best in their new life. So sorry your special day had to be marred by these ‘trashy’ events.
Blessings,
RJS
Well. This is a good example of someone who preaches but does not practices what he preaches. A man who worries about if he can keep his job instead of keeping his convictions.
A man who does not care for bringing people to Christ but keeping people from leaving the church because in the end mans word is more important and not God’s Word. Right Pastor. Right Pastor?
YES, HE IS SPINELESS…WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE DOES HE PREACH TO HIS CONGREGATION?..IT’S OBVIOUSLY NOT A MESSAGE OF LOVE…
Every time I’m proud of something that happens in this country…there’s something like this every day. Every hour.
Sigh.
Long way to go.
THIS CHURCH HAS THE JEEZEBEL SPIRIT OF HIDDEN RACISM!
its a shame the pastor chose to run away from the opportunity to teach his congregation about God’s love even if it meant been fired. Its better to loss a job than embarrassing God. Anyway I think we all have fall into do what right to save face. We are all guilty of it so may we all look at this for the lesson behind it.
SHAME!!!!!!!!
Shame, Shame, Shame….Im totally embarassed as a Christian. This is another sad day in 2012 that we are still dealing with racism espesically in the church. Dear Pastor you should be ashame of yourself (remember you answer to God too) and what you may as well do is have the Blacks enter through the BACK of the church and sit in another room than the whites….oh no because you need to collect tithe & offering and all that money is GREEN!!! May GOD Bless the Wilson Family.
If I was that couple, I think I would start looking for a new church home. I can’t even imagine how this very demeaning behavior made them feel, not to mention the extra stress this caused them. Very sad.
Take away assembly’s and the pastor’s tax exempt statuses and I am sure the bigots would find it in their “hearts” to welcome all people regardless of color or nationality.
Am totally ashamed that there are still so called men of God without a face and who also do even know the God they are serving. ‘Pastor’, you don’t answer to people but to God. In fact this so called ‘church’ is a political party, that is why they vote each other into positions. REPENT and accept Christ so that you can become a Christian. 2 Timothy 4 v 3 – 4 “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” Return to the basis of Christianity – Love. May you find the Lord’s mercy and return to the truth of the Word.
The basics of Christianity is LOVE.
Shame on the pastor for letting this happen! He covered for the racists in his congregation instead of condemning their racist bigotry!
Though my heart is heavy by the actions of a few people, Pastor included, we too must remember the Word says, love our enemy and pray for those who spitefully use us. We wrestle not against flesh and blood…they just need to be delivered from the ungodly spirit that dwells within them. IT’S PRAYING TIME!!!
I agree with Dr. Coutain… Wholeheartedly.
SHAME!!
To the leaders of First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs
To the choirmaster: do you have white hoods at your Rehearsal?
To the cowardly Pastor, You could have shown some really good thought here, but chickened out. If you thought what you was doing was right in the eyes of the Lord, you would have gone on and married the couple in the church, regardless of what the congregants wanted. If that meant losing your job, well, so what? Perhaps there is something else behind, i.e. your own perception of nonwhite. I’m sure you will be honored by your friends in the congregation for your refusal to marry this couple. But ask yourself if Jesus is your friend and what he maybe thinks about this?
The church congregation: Shame on you! We now live 2012th But apparently not in Crystal Springs, where you apparently want to turn the time back to the 1950s.
A little advice for the wedding couple: Try a Christian church next time. First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs seems to be something else.
Pastor should have been a Daniel or one of the Hebrews in the fire! If he stood firm for the right, great things could have happen.
When the leader is weak, so goes the church. The rest of the “saints”, should boot that minority out.
Bermuda is watching!!
Unbelievable. Hope they find the right church. They were members and they couldn’t get married there? Unbelievable.
having attended a small, white only congregation here in south Louisiana, I seriously doubt if there are ANY black members of that church, there were not at the Baptist church I attended. Blacks were asked to leave, or if they somehow made it in the door, were asked NOT to return.
I didn’t know it’s still exist…Church is The House of God and everyone is welcome! I just hope they know or perhaps remember the song: “Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They’re all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world” And Love is God’s Gift!
sad story that still exist.