Miss. church apologizes for barring black wedding

Charles Wilson and Te'Andrea Henderson Wilson pose for photos in front of the First Baptist Church in Crystal Springs, Miss., July 27, 2012. / AP Photo/The Clarion-Ledger

(AP) JACKSON, Miss. - A predominantly white Mississippi church has apologized for its refusal to allow a black couple to marry in its sanctuary, though the couple said Monday they knew nothing of the apology until a reporter called.

The First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs posted the apology on its website Sunday, saying it was seeking "forgiveness and reconciliation" with Charles Wilson and Te'Andrea Henderson Wilson, their families and friends and God.

"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," reads part of the six-paragraph statement.

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However, Charles Wilson said no one from the church had contacted him or his wife.

"I can't believe they think they've apologized," Wilson said. He said only one or two people from the church have contacted him in recent weeks, and they did so personally and not as representatives of the church.

"You put a thing in the media and say you've apologized?" Wilson asked. "That is an insult."

Church officials did not immediately respond to a phone call seeking further comment Monday.

The Wilsons had planned a marriage ceremony at the church July 21, but some members objected to the Rev. Stan Weatherford after the couple's rehearsal. The Wilsons have said that Weatherford, the pastor, told them he could be fired if the wedding was held in his church.

The couple's wedding was held in a predominantly black church, where Weatherford officiated.

Some church members have said that most of the hundreds of congregants didn't learn what had happened until well after the Wilsons' wedding.

Crystal Springs, a town of about 5,000 people about 20 miles south of Jackson, is more than 60 percent black. The Wilsons live in Jackson but started attending church there because Weatherford has been a personal friend of Te'Andrea Wilson's family. Some members of her family have continued to attend church at First Baptist, though the Wilsons have not.

Town officials held a racial unity rally July 30, with Weatherford, Mayor Sally Garland and others praying for racial reconciliation. The Wilsons attended, but Weatherford and the Wilsons did not speak. Weatherford told reporters there he was trying to avoid conflict by moving the wedding and denied that his job had been threatened.

Southern Baptist leaders had called for the church to reconsider, noting that the Baptist Faith and Message, a statement of what Southern Baptists believe, says that "Christians should oppose racism." State and national leaders of the denomination, though, noted that each church is autonomous, and said the church had to work out its own response.

After being slow to reach out across racial lines, Southern Baptists have made increasing efforts in that direction in the past two decades. Nationwide, about 19 percent of 45,000 Southern Baptist churches are majority-minority, including 3,500 that are majority black.

Earlier this year, the convention elected its first black president, the Rev. Fred Luter Jr. of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. At the same meeting, delegates voted to give churches the option of calling themselves Great Commission Baptist churches, for those who wish to break free of the Southern Baptist name to seek more followers.

[GulfCoastRetail]

The story would be perfect it it somehow incorporated Chick-Fil-A.

[Big_Drew]

Shame on this Minister for cowering down and NOT marrying the couple. He was more worried about his employment than doing his job!

[rjack61]

Ok, so the church, pastor, etc. apologizes to you personally. Then what? Please move on from this. Find another church to worship. You are making way to much of this. I wouldn't want to attend, let alone, become a member of a church that treated me in like manner. I'm sure there are other churches in the area. Worship someplace else.

[twmat311]

No one apologized personally - they posted it on their website. And the pastor waffled on "I could get fired....well, no one really threatened my job directly.)

Guess you have to experience it yourself before you know how it feels. "Get over it" is easy until it's aimed at you.

[mysticpizza]

Ole Miss will never change in its ways from the past, it will always have the racist good ole boy syndrome.

[mysticpizza]

If you had relatives who lived during jim crow in Mississippi you would understand that terminology.

[twmat311]

Alive and well. The pig has a fresh coat of lipstick, but stilll a pig.

[ReckonedTruth]

..to all the naysayers in defense of the church and finding an excuse to make this" much ado about nothing?"..(and you know who you are)..

..it's a AGAINST the U..S constitution to discriminate based upon FAITH belief, race, creed and sexuality..PERIOD! Get a CLUE!

..you need to go back to school and re-learn if you learned at all.. civic's law..

Stupid is as stupid says.!

[sagtownsend]

A case of "too little, (way) too late".

[GreedyOldPartee]

Are you referring to discriminating old white people or religion? Perhaps both....

[omnibus66]

The Tea Pottys say that they believe that a marriage is between a man and a woman. I guess the word "white" is implied.

[antoniof123]

regrets and sorrow for their actions

And god said to the lake of fire for you.

[Goldwater64s6]

looks like the preacher did`nt have any balls.