Complaint Review:
The Baptist Church
Although it is agreed that all should come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the preaching of the gospel about knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior should be constantly done let us be clear that there is racism especially to a high degree from the group known as the Baptists and their Baptist Church (no matter the various organizations they belong to). The proof of this is found below:
1. Here is a story from kentucky.com:
Pike church takes stand against interracial couples
By Bill Estep
Posted: 12:00am on Nov 30, 2011; Modified: 8:10am on Dec 5, 2011
"A small Pike County church has voted not to accept
interracial couples as members or let them take part in some worship
activities.The decision has caused sharp reaction and disapproval in the Eastern Kentucky county."It's
not the spirit of the community in any way, shape or form," Randy
Johnson, president of the Pike County Ministerial Association, said of
the vote.The issue came up at the Gulnare Freewill Baptist
Church, said Dean Harville, a longtime member who serves as church
secretary and clerk.
Attendance is usually around 40 people for a Sunday service at the church in the Johns Creek area, Harville said.Harville said his daughter Stella Harville, who is pursuing a master's degree in
optical engineering at a school in Indiana, brought her fianc, Ticha
Chikuni, to church in June and played the piano as he sang.The couple performed I Surrender All, said Stella Harville, who is 24.Chikuni, 29, who works at Georgetown College, is black. He is a native of Zimbabwe.Stella Harville grew up in the church and was baptized there, but she is not a member, Dean Harville said.Dean Harville said Melvin Thompson, who had been pastor for many years, told
him in August that his daughter and her fianc couldn't sing at the
church again.Thompson stepped down as pastor in August, citing
health issues, but he refused Harville's requests to drop the issue,
Harville said.
The new pastor, Stacy Stepp, said the couple could sing at the church if they wanted, Harville said.In
early November, Thompson proposed the church go on record saying that
while all people were welcome to attend public worship services there,
the church did not condone interracial marriage, according to a copy of
the recommendation supplied by the Harvilles.The proposal also
said "parties of such marriages will not be received as members, nor
will they be used in worship services" or other church functions, with
the exception of funerals.
The recommendation "is not intended to
judge the salvation of anyone, but is intended to promote greater unity
among the church body and the community we serve," the copy supplied to
the Herald-Leader read.Members at a business meeting decided to
put the matter before the whole church. Last Sunday, nine people voted
for the proposal and six voted against it, Harville said.There were more people in attendance, but some didn't want to take a stand, he said.Harville
said the resolution was motivated by racism and has given the church,
the community, the county and even God a black eye."It sure ain't Christian. It ain't nothing but the old devil working," Harville said.Thompson,
who owns a hardware store, told the Herald-Leader on Tuesday that the
proposal has been taken out of context, but declined further comment.
Stella Harville said it has been hurtful that some members of her church family made such a decision."They're the people who are supposed to comfort me in times like these," she said.East Kentucky Broadcasting, which owns several radio stations, first reported the story about the vote on Monday.Hundreds of people have since posted comments disagreeing with the decision, said reporter Shannon Deskins.Johnson, with the local ministerial association, said the reactions have included heartbreak and disbelief."Most of us thought that we'd moved well beyond that," he said.Harville said he plans to ask the conference of churches to which Gulnare Freewill Baptist belongs to overturn the vote.Even if that happens, however, "I don't think I'll be able to go back there," his daughter said."
2. Here is another article about the racism in the Baptist Church that comes from About.com:
Christian Racism in the South: Church Turns Away Biracial BoyBy
Austin Cline, About.com Guide
August 27, 2006
"It wasn't that long ago that Christians in the South kept their churches
segregated on an official basis: white churches simply prevented
non-whites from attending. Today churches tend to be segregated out of
choice and tradition rather than due to official rules. Some Christians
may prefer the "good old days" and want their churches to be officially
segregated.
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports on the Fellowship Baptist Church in Saltillo, Mississippi, which voted to deny all blacks membership and as a consequence turned
away a biracial boy who had recently converted to Christianity:
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 (the bi-racial boy) out and
said he could not return.
The church was afraid Joe might come with his people and have blacks in
the church, the churchs pastor, the Rev. John Stevens, said.
...This isnt a newly formed church meeting in peoples home or in a
storefront; this is a 143-year-old church with a lot of history, even if
its relatively small. John Stevens estimates that about 80 percent of
the congregation is opposed to the presence of black people in their
midst while worshipping their god and praising how Jesus died for their
sins.
....Its unreasonable to think that they consider racism, discrimination,
and segregation to be sins, otherwise they would be knowingly engaging
in a sin while praising Jesus for dying for their sins. I dont suppose
its impossible for people to adopt such contradictory positions, but it
would be difficult. At any rate, this story helps make it clear that
not only is racism not dead in America and especially the American
South, but its not dead even in the context of Christianity and church
attendance."
Here is another article on the same subject from homepage.mac.com:
Unbelievable in 2006: Baptist Church in Mississippi Votes Out 12-Year-Old Over RACE
08/25/2006 01:31 Filed in: Culture Watch
"This almost sounds like a story from the first half of the 20th Century, not something that would take place in 2006.
In July the ironically named Fellowship Baptist Church in Saltillo,
Mississippi, held revival services. During those revival services,
12-year-old Joe, a boy of biracial descent "accepted Jesus into his
heart." On August 6, at the church's business meeting, the all-white
congregation voted to exclude blacks from its services, including Joe
because they did not want him to bring his family members to worship
services.
Unbelievable. Stunningly unbelievable. I cannot come up
with strong enough words to describe my feelings for this church's
decision. Such actions are nothing less than antichrist in the truest sense of the word."
3. Here are some historical facts about the racism in the Baptist Church from ethicsdaily.com (still very much prevalent today might we add):
Topic: Baptists and Racism
"Baptists have a long and storied history on the issue of race and racism. The Southern Baptist Convention was founded in 1845 largely over the issue of slavery....Southern Baptists supported it...
White Baptists in the South were mostly absent from the Civil Rights Movement, despite the fact that a fellow Baptist, Martin Luther King, Jr., led the charge."
4. Here is another article about another Baptist Church found on myfoxdfw.com
Church Airs Racial Slur on Radio Show
Published : Wednesday, 28 Apr 2010, 5:59 PM CDT
Natalie Solis
"DALLAS - First Baptist Church Dallas...broadcast a racial slur on one of its Sunday morning radio shows. A respected pillar of the local church made the remark during a discussion about Arizona's controversial anti-illegal immigration law. Dr. Lamar Cooper, president of Criswell College, referred to illegal immigrants as "wetbacks."
These are just examples of the fact that racism is still there in the Baptist Church no matter what kind of Baptist organization that may be. It is well camouflaged and secretly practiced behind closed doors (especially by white members) and that is why one must openly declare that the Baptist Church is the most racist Christian organization in the world today.