What Say Your Honset Opinions and Thoughts about what this church is doing?... Is this Chirst-like OR are Interracial Dating or Marriage Relationships forbidden by God in the BIble?
By Bill Estep
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.
I want to make an ammendment to my lst post, I personaly dont date black me becasue I am afraid of them but I would resist any racial mixing because of the other reasons I stated and I also want to say that The black men in my church their with their wives do not scare me at all! I feel completly comfortable around them and other ones that I know well and are the husbands or boyfriends of someone I know! I wouldnt want to be left alone with them or any other man for that matter. But my personal reasons are just that my personal reasons and my beliefs and observations are something else completly different I commented on them both so I wanted to clearify that and alos say that my opinion is just an opinion I still think everyone who claims Jesus Christ and is born again long as they are not homosexual couples (like someone else said james I think) they should be allowed into the church thats obserd and brings reproach just like the black men I have encounterd have brought reproach to other innocent black men
Im curious about the point of your post dragging the respectable name of Darwin into this. Are you somehow implying that evolution and the discoveries of one of the most important men in newer history isnt the greatest antidote against racism? All those racists having slaves and exterminating whole nations of inferior men/beasts in their eyes, did they see non whites as just another nation? Lol How does todays KKK "christian" feel about evolution? How did Hitler and Stalin feel about evolution (according to real historical evidence, not a young earth site)? You are subtle, but I wonder why Darwin is mentioned here.
I no problem understanding that you live in difficult arrear in regards to black and white and have to take precautions. Whites in South Africa have to do so even more. But I also think that in such places good Christians of all colors have a special obligation to make a difference also in light of 1 Peter 2:12. Avoid the braindead thugs but try to make a difference. Im sure you do.
Moses 'MARRIED' a black woman,and look at the response by Arron and Miriam.
Num 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
Num 12:2 And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.
Son 1:5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
Son 1:6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.
